Web of Deception: The Webbed Avenger
by Arsenal597
Summary: Book 1. Secrets buried in the past are uncovered when Stiles Stilinski uncovers a journal belonging to his mother leading him to Oscorp where he is bitten by a genetically altered spider giving him superhuman abilities. With his new powers, Stiles utilizes his smarts to create gear for himself as the vigilante known as Spider-Man after tragedy strikes his family and friends.
1. Prologue: Hero or Menace

**Some may see the name of the actual series, Ultimate Spider Chronicles, and think this was already wrote up to chapter 28-ish. I did write that, but that is no longer the version this needs apparently. This is a darker version and I warn you that I stray from the usual Spidey mythos in an attempt to make it my own, and Teen Wolf. I do not own it but the reason I say this is because in the previous version I had Stiles and Lydia know each other, and strayed from the normal. I did and am doing that because this is not the Teen Wolf verse we all expect. I am taking inspiration from multiple comic series, movies, and even shows. So the fact Stiles and Lydia know each other is reminiscent of the Ultimate comics of them being friends since childhood. However it is still Teen Wolf because they didn't talk at the beginning of high school. It shouldn't matter, if you guys want Stiles and Lydia to be the season One equivalents of themselves in a Stydia-Spider-Man story you can find a different story. I am not doing Stydia right off the bat. Stiles is going to mature and so is Lydia if they get together. I'm just doing my own thing. And so everyone knows pay attention to the writing closely because you might miss something otherwise that hints at a future chapter or a character's development.**

 **So yeah, this is a new beginning. One that shows a Darker Spider-Man story than I have before in the past.**

 **To put it simply, don't get too attached to certain characters because they may be killed off or worse, their story twisted in ways you might not expect.**

 **The Web of Deception begins now...**

* * *

 _Prologue: Hero or Menace_

* * *

 _ **DAILY BUGLE NEWS**_

 **The Truth About Spider-Man**

 **By: Lydia Martin**

* * *

In a world like this, when our entire lives seem to be crashing down upon us like god's wrath, people often find themselves wondering if they will be saved. Well, nowadays it seems like the general population are becoming more infatuated with the fantasy of heroes coming through those doors, windows, roofs, anywhere out of the blue just to save our lives, but you must ask yourself, are heroes truly someone who can be there within an instant to save the day? That's the question that we must ask about Manhattan's very own web-slinging "superhero" known as Spider-Man.

What do we know about him? Well, what we do know is that miraculously about five months ago, this man appears out of nowhere, swinging from a web onto the scene of a bloodbath; a horrendous battle between the New York Police Department and a group of notorious bank robbers that had plagued our city for months by that point in time. By all accounts, that day was a turning point. He changed everything when he showed up.

While Spider-Man back then wasn't wearing his signature red and blue spandex, he was still capable of taking down all but a few of the robbers, and saved countless lives in the process. Before having arrived, fifteen of New York's finest were gunned down, only three surviving the event. If not for Spider-Man coming onto the scene and saving those officers, personally taking them to the hospital, they may have not lived to see another day. While many see Spider-Man as another masked vigilante taking the law into his own hands, they don't really understand the man behind the mask... nobody really does. You've heard it from the man who owned the Daily Bugle... John Jonah Jameson, he believes Spider-Man to be a criminal; and why does he think that? It's because Spider-Man wears a mask to conceal his identity, and in his own eyes Jameson believes that those who hide their face have something to hide, meaning that Spider-Man must be secretly a criminal. There have been rumors that have surfaced about the Wall Crawler that would go along with that opinion, but that's not the truth. The whole truth would be to actually take in all of Spider-Man's actions and what's he has actually done since appearing.

Even the police are split on the decision whether or not Spider-Man is a hero or a criminal. They've always tottered back and forth on the matter, and it's always tipped to the hero side, but lately things have tipped the other way. One might have thought that the officers of New York City might have felt some sort of gratitude towards Spider-Man because of his actions that day when he saved those officers from dying. We always thought that perhaps that people with super powers like Spider-Man merely showed off when they fought criminals or committed crimes. Witnesses who have managed to speak to Spider-Man and get information about him says that he feels a responsibility to use his powers to help people, to keep someone from getting hurt. Why does he feel this responsibility to use his powers to help people? Did he do something with his powers and end up regretting it, therefore giving him a reason to use his powers for good, as a way to attone for his past actions? He's never revealed the reasons behind this feeling of responsibility, other than him saying: "with great power comes great responsibility."

Even with all the good Spider-Man has done, there are people who would say that Spider-Man is nothing more than some guy in a costume doing ordinary things, using illusions to make him appear to have abilities.

I, myself was there that day when Spider-Man first showed up in New York City, and I can tell you that he is no ordinary man. He could do things that even trained acrobats and contortionists could never do. He was something that nobody could have ever thought of before that day. Yes, I was there that day, and I remember every single detail of that day.

On such days like that of 9/11, this was a day that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Everyone who could remember that day does in fact remember it; they remember where they were, what they were doing, and what they were feeling when that catalysmic event occurred. It's just something that engraves itself into the back of a person's memory, ensuring it's never forgotten.

As I said, I was there myself that day when Spider-Man first made an appearance, and I remember the details before that day like it was just yesterday. The mall across from the bank was where I was coming out from when the shooting first began. It caught me off guard, so off guard that I didn't even comprehend it for a couple moments until I heard the screams of those affected by the firing. Along with a close friend, we took cover whatever was available, whether that had been a car, or a mailbox. Somehow, we hadn't been injured during those initial minutes.

Amidst the gunfire, I watched in complete horror as the screaming deafened the surrounding area; it was the only thing you could hear there. I couldn't understand what was actually happening. One moment everything had been so utterly calm and quiet, and the next... nothing but death occurring. My heart was racing, keeping pace with the screams of the bullets that were flying left and right. The screaming coming from the guns and the fallen officers deafened everything but yet, amongst that battlefield, somehow you could hear it clear as day.

You could hear amongst the gunfire the distinct sound of that web connecting to a building. It was only a couple seconds later that one of the gunmen pointed towards the sky, shouting "What is that?!" mere moments before this figure came rocketing down from a rooftop landing in the middle of gunfire on a bullet-riddled police cruiser, not being moved an inch by the thought of being shot. It was that moment that everything seemed to freeze for an eternity, but what seemed to be an eternity was only a few minor seconds.

There he stood, the beacon of hope that answered the call for help that day. It felt like it wasn't even real when he landed on the car, not saying a single word as he stared down the bank robbers. Everything went dead silent when he landed, and that was probably more terrifying than the actual fight itself.

Within a matter of those few short seconds, Spider-Man stood up on that police cruiser, the only thing concealing his identity was this old dark red hooded jacket, and a mask woven from his very own webbing. The webbing was not as fine as it now, but it completed the job it was intended for nevertheless. He leapt into the air just before the gunmen fired their weapons, as if he had been able to sense they were about to fire. Spider-Man single-handedly took all but five of the gunmen down, the only reason he could not stop all of them from escaping was due to a man that went by the alias: The Omega. Spider-Man couldn't defeat the Omega, but kept him at bay long enough for police back up to arrive.

The Omega was a real life boogeyman that had cropped up in the criminal underworld for a couple years now, but nobody had actually seen him before that day. The fact Spider-Man was one of the few people to go up against the Omega and live was something spectacular by itself. There are no actual numbers to the deaths the Omega is responsible for, but there is speculation in the police force that the Omega has claimed over ninety lives in his rampages. Spider-Man managed to hold the Omega off long enough to where the Omega wasn't able to take any more innocent lives that day.

Now, Spider-Man has done a lot of courageous feats since his "superhero" career began just five months ago, but while many of the civilians and police officers are thankful for the Web Slinger, there are those who believe Spidey to be a menace to society. There is an answer to the question about the masked wall crawler... Spider-Man: Hero or Menace? Well...

 _The Truth?_

The truth is while in the past, millions of dollars have been put into the rebuilds following some of the more infamous Spider-Man battles, it does not mean that he is a menace to society. Wherever he goes, he saves hundreds of lives; he has brought murderers and psychopaths to justice. So is Spider-Man a menace?

No, not at all, in fact Spider-Man is the guardian angel we never knew we needed.

He came when we needed him the most, and the reason he's around is a harsh one. With every passing day New York City is becoming more dangerous, and right now things aren't looking that good.

Right about now Spider-Man may be our only hope to stop the super powered criminals running rampant through our once great city. But Spider-Man is currently being hunted down by the police force, and if they take him down, New York City will deteriorate into a war zone that no cop nor superhero can stop.

What can we do to stop this from happening? We let Spider-Man do what he does best... save the day. He may be our only hope to stop the madness...

* * *

Lydia Martin was never one to believe in things like season trends, shoes that made you look six inches taller. She also didn't believe in something as foolish as fate, but ever since Spider-Man came around, things had actually become better, and also worse. So when she was able to make an article in the Daily Bugle about him, she jumped at the chance to. Some might have assumed she lied about being there, but she told the truth about all of it. How he had showed up and her being there was all true... every single bit of it was true. Lydia would never forget it.

Lydia had been at the mall just a street away from the shootout, with her friend Liz Allan accompanying her. When the shooting began they hid behind a car and used their phones to zoom in on the fight... it was one of the most exhilirating things Lydia had ever seen in her life; just to watch the guns get yanked out of the thugs' hands by a web as Spider-Man went flying towards them over a car, it felt like she was in a movie.

That was how she was first introduced to Spider-Man, and while the fight may have almost ended, he looked over at Lydia and Liz, it seemed for Lydia, something weird happened... she felt drawn to him.

Lydia was a woman of curiosity, when she was told to stay away from something, she did the opposite, and well... when she made eye contact with Spider-Man, she became infatuated with him. She watched as Spider-Man picked up one Officer Stilinski and swung out of there on a web. He would come back for the other two surviving officers, but each one was in the blink of an eye.

When Liz told Lydia about the one officer Spider-Man saved, how he was when he got admitted, she couldn't help but note that his son was the one who got there before anyone else. He must have been right there at the scene when Spider-Man had taken Officer Stilinski to the hospital to have gotten there so quickly.

Lydia had tracked Spider-Man's movements by accounting all of the sightings. She had discovered Spider-Man teamed up with the superhero known as Iron Man and even the new vigilante roaming Hell's Kitchen... who had picked up the name Daredevil on multiple occasions. Then he was now working with someone that Spidey referred to as Beta.

Nearly six months had passed since the arrival of Spider-Man, and Lydia was still entranced by the Web Slinger. She had seen him go from a simple red hoodie with a white webbing mask over his face and a hood... to a red mask with sunglasses over it and a stocking cap, to the red and blue suit that she came to know and love along with a dwindling number of fans of the Web Slinger, and that number was very low right now.

Now Lydia didn't know much about who Spider-Man was, but she was going to find out... who he was, how he got powers, why he does what he does... the whole story. She didn't know that the story she was looking for... was right in front of her.

The story ultimately started small, with a spider.


	2. The Tale of the Spinstress

**_EPISODE ONE: POWERLESS_**

* * *

 _Chapter One: The Tale of the Spinstress_

* * *

 _ **Six Months Earlier**_

 **Oscorp's New York Mainland Facility**

 **Hempstead, New York**

* * *

 _Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power._

-Abraham Lincoln

* * *

 **Cross Species Experiment 56**

 **Subject:** **Arachnid No. 00**

 **Codename: (X-95)**

* * *

New York was his starting point, where he worked from the ground up. He built a name for himself, a name that now rivaled the Stark family. It took years, but he did it. He managed to make a stake in the one place that made all the difference, New York City.

The name shined through the night, illuminating his fortune. For the owner of the multi-billion dollar business known as Oscorp Industries, he felt like a king...

But being a king could be more dangerous than what it was worth, as he found. In Oscorp, he was a king, and like all kings, his rule over Oscorp might have been coming to an end.

Everything he had built, all the blood, sweat, and tears he put into Oscorp, and it was all for nothing. He might have had suspicions, but it was never on this scale.

It was one thing to be taken out by a rival competitor, (something he knew was entirely possible when you're in New York City of all places) but never once in his life had he thought that this would ever happen.

He was actually afraid for the first time since he was a small decrepit child. Fear was usually a cripple for most as he found, but he was different. Fear drove him to become stronger. By becoming stronger he could accomplish what he sought out to do.

Not many people knew about this problem of his, but soon enough they would find out the truth, and he would be ousted, a pig sent to slaughter. That would not be his fate, not at all. He would not die this way.

There was still years left for him to find a solution; a solution could be found, he was certain of it. He had years, perhaps if he was lucky, decades. How would he hide this? There would be signs that would follow that might reveal his situation. When it started, he would deal with it as it happened. However things may go, he would deal with it.

There were resources at his disposal, and he would use them accordingly. Everything was far down the road, so why be worried about it now? In all honesty there was no reason to worry in the immediate future.

At least, that's what he thought over a decade ago. Now things were different, and that future was quickly growing closer, and that fear was creeping up on him like a predator stalking its prey... and that meant time was running out.

So here he was, his life expectancy growing ever shorter with each day, trying to find a way to change his fate, and to change fate, power is needed. Power that could mean disaster.

The air was cool and crisp in side the laboratory as the two grown men stood over a glass container. In the container sat a small creature, often treated as a pest, but they thought of it as something truly remarkable.

"God created man, and we created this..." the oldest of the two spoke, "would this mean that to this creature, we are gods?" His voice broke the strange silence that had taken hold. When no answer came, the man sighed. If he couldn't hold an actual conversation then why was he right there? So, he asked another question.

"Tell me, are you a fan of Greek mythology, Justin?" the unkind, grizzled voice of the multi-billion dollar CEO of Oscorp Industries, Norman Osborn asked. Norman's eyes slowly turned away from the container to his younger assistant who stood nervously next to the businessman, almost like he was afraid. The assistant, named Justin gulped ever so lightly as he gazed at his boss who lumbered over him like a tower. Norman was not a person most took lightly with only a single thought, and everyone knew it, and if they didn't, they would.

Norman Osborn stood at five foot nine, unlike his normal height of six foot onem but nevertheless he lumbered over his assistant, who by the way was one of his top scientists. This meant Justin would always be intimidated by the man no matter what. Norman's reddish-brown hair shimmered in the dim room, showing the contrast from his hair to his pale complexion. His stomach dropped as he hid the sickly color from Justin, nervous the light would make it worse. For Norman, hiding in the dark gave him a precious gift.

This gift was something he took graciously, as he was afraid, actually afraid that this gift would become scarce sooner rather than later. That gift was too important to him to lose it. He couldn't lose it, not yet.

While most wouldn't know it, Norman had a secret that he had been keeping for nearly twenty years by now, and that was why this gift was so precious to him. Nobody could honestly tell from afar and even just from Norman's demeanor, but he was sick, in fact he was terminally ill as those so called "doctors" had told him on every visit to the doctor.

Shadows were forming underneath his eyelids; his skin underneath his suit and tie was discolored, a pale green mixed with the dark hue of purple; and what scared him the most was that the muscles he had gained over the span of his lifetime was diminishing.

Norman Osborn was dying, there was no doubt about it in his mind, and soon enough, unfortunately everyone would know this dreadful secret, and then everything would come crashing down to the ground. Only a few people in the company knew the truth about Norman's condition, and not even Norman's own son knew about it. This had to be kept a secret for as long as possible, as Norman needed to keep up his appearances for the meantime.

He could feel the rash underneath his shirt, his lips curling into a snarl at the thought of it; actually it wasn't the thought of it, but rather it was the itching sensation that gave him a small urge to scratch, and he almost gave in to that urge, but then he realized that Justin might have become suspicious if he were to do that. Norman hated having to keep his symptoms a secret, but showing his weakness would only help the board boot him out of Oscorp that much faster, and he wouldn't allow that, only over his dead body.

There was the threat of the investors pulling their money out of Oscorp's stocks because the whole reason Oscorp was profitable in the first place was now dying, and would die with the company as well; Norman knew that too well, and it made him angry. They didn't care about a business unless they could earn money from it.

That was the thing about big business... while having Norman as the image of the company may have been influential to its success, he knew that as soon as he would bite the dust, the company wouldn't stand on its own. There would be buzzards swooping in to tear the remains of the company apart, and the Osborn Legacy would end there, not just the Osborn Legacy, but Oscorp itself. Without Norman, Oscorp was nothing... and it would be taken out before it got a chance to survive on its own. With that in mind, that was why he needed an heir to the Osborn Legacy to take over Oscorp when his time on the Earth was over.

"Not really, sir. Why do you ask?" Justin replies, breaking Norman's thoughts about his health, and he chuckled. Justin was pretty new to this kind of business, and he thought it was funny how he had randomly asked about Greek mythology, as this was a place of science... and mythology didn't exactly belong here.

"Have you ever heard the myth of Arachne?" Norman inquired, looking into the container, which held Norman's hope for survival: a spider, and not just any spider, but a genetically altered spider that Norman had in a way created.

"Can't say that I have, Mr. Osborn." Norman stretched his hand out, a special insulated glove protecting him as the spider known as the X-95 climbed onto his hand. This was his prized creation, the one that with luck might bring him and Oscorp, and maybe the rest of New York into the next age of mankind.

"Well... The story goes that Athena – you know Athena right? Seems she heard there was this woman on Earth – a mere mortal, like you and me, who happened to be a better spinstress than she was." Justin was baffled at what a spinstress was. "Athena was furious..."

"Excuse me, but what's a spinstress?" Justin asked as Norman lifted the spider, safe from the spider's venomous bite.

"A weaver... this spider is remarkable Justin, you see this is the most lethal creature on the planet. It is not natural, but man made. This can kill a man with its venom within seconds. There should be no life that can hold the venom in its body, even the spider. The spider is called the X-95 for a reason... there were ninety-four other subjects before it in the X series... all ninety-four died from either poisoning by its own venom, or because its DNA was unstable, or in one case, it was a threat to the safety of the workers..." Justin began to sweat as he looked at the spider, and then Norman chuckled once more. "I'm sorry, where was I? Oh, right... now Athena wasn't too pleased about this, so she came down to Earth, and destroyed this woman's creations. All of them destroyed due to Athena's jealousy."

"Sounds like a woman." Justin muttered under his breath, fearful of the thought that a passing female co-worker might hear him.

"When this mortal girl saw what had happened – that she had insulted the gods, and her life's work destroyed – she hung herself. Athena took pity upon this girl, and ever gingerly touched the dead girl's forehead. On her fingers Athena held possession of a magical liquid found only in Olympus..."

"Olympus?" Justin blurted out and much to Norman's annoyance. "Wow..." Norman continued, but his voice was now grittier than ever.

"When Athena's fingers touched the dead girl's forehead, the magical liquid touched her as well. Athena said: _You shall not die, Arachne. Instead you will be transformed and weave your web forever._ At Athena's words Arachne shrank and blackened. First her nose and ears fell off, and then her fingers turned into legs, and what was left of her became her body, out of which she spins and left to spin her web." Norman became quiet, his eyes still on the X-95. Justin was only able to stand there in wonder at the story.

"Mr. Osborn?" came a female voice, gaining Norman's attention, to which he found was an intern for one of his workers, Dr. Curt Connors, standing there patiently. "I'm sorry about this Mr. Osborn but I was sent to tell you that your lawyer is on the phone, says it's rather important. Actually, he says that the two of you need to discuss a matter of the utmost importance." Her composure didn't exactly show it, but her eyes showed she was nervous. Norman began to wonder if he was just that intimidating, or rather they didn't want to make him feel any less like a man. Either way, he wasn't enjoying this one bit.

"Important to whom?" Norman hisses lowly as he takes the phone from the worker. "I told you before I don't want to be bothered in my lab. Tell him there is no room for negotiating. What? No, I said no!" Norman's talk had suddenly become frantic, filled with anger.

"Oh, no! Now that you have disturbed me, let me disturb you!" It was there that the X-95 was put into Justin's hands, making him freak out due to fear. "The Cross Species project will change the world. No longer will there be amputees, illnesses will be eradicated from the face of the planet. The country's economy will..." he stopped speaking, feeling faint as sweat was spreading across his forehead, as the man on the other end of the phone kept speaking. "Yes, yes. So far the testing is going well, very well as a matter of fact. The only problem that we've encountered for the most part was a worker being bitten by a subject. She is no longer alive as before the incident she had developed a rare type of dementia. No side effects had been spotted or reported."

Justin was staring down at the spider in his bare, clammy hands, his heart almost beating out of his chest. God, he was so nervous that he felt like throwing up what little lunch he had today. He was facing quite the dilemma, if he couldn't calm down there would be some problems. There were many reasons for his fear - Justin was a clumsy fellow, and being sweaty and nervous at the same time made a petrifying combination that Justin hated.

On one hand, (pun not intended) the spider biting him would be rather painful, not to mention it was quite possibly deadly; if the bite didn't kill him, he still could fall victim to having seizures, foam at the mouth like a rabid animal, or worse.

Then, the more terrifying thought, if the X-95 were to fall and perish, facing the unholy wrath of a notoriously ruthless businessman like Norman Osborn would be a fate worse than death in Justin's opinion, as Norman Osborn was one of the few people that even the man who was feared by every criminal in the city, Wilson Fisk, didn't try to fight or anger Norman.

So, Justin did the one logical decision that had actually managed to come through his fear, and with one single, swift motion, threw the spider into its designated box, shivering as he wiped his hands on the side of his pants, the sweat having stained the fabric.

"It's been nearly eight years since that worker succumbed to her illness. The husband has not made any allegations as to the remote possibility that the animal that bit her had anything to do with her passing. But, I must digress that this is the very reason we haven't even begun the human trials yet. While it may be the next logical step, we must take this threat as a warning, and tread carefully." Norman began walking off, making the still shivering Justin run after him, making a foolish decision of not closing the X-95's box. "We've been doing testing on many animals, like mammals, insects, arachnids, reptiles... There are three animals that have had some especially fascinating developments since testing began."

Norman listened to his lawyer ramble on, making him become quite impatient, and he just about had enough.

"Listen, I own Oscorp, not him. Do I make myself crystal clear? Good, as long as we understand who's in charge." Walking out of the lab, neither realized the box was open. "Ah, he gets on my last nerve. Now, do you realize why I told you that story? I'm saying that we are Athena, and our Arachne is still out there somewhere."

"It is only a myth, Mr. Osborn." Justin replied, as Norman sighed in disappointment.

"Myths are based on some truth like everything else Justin. As I said, god created man... and we created this... so to the creatures we create, does that mean we are gods to them?"

"I suppose that is something to consider... Mr. Osborn, who was that worker? The one who had dementia." Norman closed his eyes slowly.

"Her name was Claudia Stilinski." That was a name that he never wanted to hear again, but the tale of Athena and Arachne had quite a meaning that wouldn't be realized for a good long while. There was two reasons that Norman was so invested in the Cross Species project: Claudia Stilinski and his illness.

The illness inflicted upon Norman was a degenerative disease, his flesh and muscle quite literally rotting from the inside out. As an estimate they were giving Norman, he had either a few months or years left to live unless they found a cure, but that was unlikely as the disease was so rare. There was no cure for this disease, and what made things worse was that it was hereditary. There was a one in a million chance that Norman's teenage son Harry Osborn might get the disease, but it was a very small chance, a minimal threat at the most.

That was the problem that had Norman so invested in this research.

Claudia Stilinski, on the other hand, while he may not have wanted to hear her name, had been a reason for the research to become turbo-charged. Norman didn't want to see another poor soul fall victim to a disease like dementia or cancer, or any for that matter. If he could complete his research, he might just feel that he honored Claudia's work and memory.

Why there were so many issues with getting to human trials is that most of the animals would die, or incidents like what happened with Claudia. Norman wanted more than anything to start the human trials, but with the subjects dying, things were looking to be against his favor.

"Claudia was one of my best researchers. She headed the Cross Species experiments before she developed her dementia. You heard me say that the X-95 is the ninety-fifth subject in the X series. We have had many series of research for spiders, but this is the most promising. You see, we have a serum that we created that should create a mutation in the subject to keep it stable, by either keeping its DNA stable, or protecting it from its own venom. The mutation worked on both fronts, and this is why that spider is so precious to me. That is our key to the next step of our research Justin. I need this."

Whether or not Norman died, he wanted an heir to the Oscorp legacy, and between his son and step-son Jackson Whittemore, it would be a very close call. The differences about Harry and Jackson could prove to be, problematic. It certainly wasn't that Norman didn't love Harry, that was his only blood relative left.

It just was that Harry was hardly interested in the company, he hadn't really shown any interest anyway. Even if he had, Harry didn't have the moxie to run Oscorp. Things were a bit tense between the two since Harry's mother, and Norman's wife had passed away nearly five years earlier. Norman knew that financially Harry could easily take care of it, but negotiations were an entirely different story. Negotiations were not one of Harry's strong suits.

Jackson, on the other hand was everything Harry wasn't. He always had been interested in Oscorp, always asking questions about the foundation of the company's workings. Jackson definitely had the moxie, not to mention his eloquence when it came to getting his way. Now in the terms of financial stability Norman had a bit of doubt as Jackson's skills in Algebra were lower than what he would have liked. But, both of the teens were capable of running the company together.

The two were going to Midtown High School in Queens, New York. Harry and Jackson were two of the most popular guys in the school, involved in sports... but they never hung out with each other. It was like their existence near each other was a revolting thought. Before Norman had gotten with Jackson's mother, Harry and Jackson were best friends, now they only fought when they talked to each other.

If Norman couldn't choose between the two they would probably be co-owners, and that would be more than likely. This could end up being a problem in the long run, but Norman still had time, all he needed to get a cure was the missing variable. The missing variable, the equivalent of Athena's magical liquid, all Norman needed was his "Arachne." The magical liquid was there but without the _Arachne_ the liquid was useless. His Arachne was the very last person that anyone would expect.

The last person that had access to the research that could have even remotely managed to create the key conditions for everything to work was Claudia Stilinski, and she was dead... and her research went with her.


	3. Her Last Chance

_Chapter Two: Her Last Chance._

* * *

 _ **Oscorp Tower**_

 **Eight Years Ago**

* * *

"My name is Claudia Stilinski, maiden name Gajos. I have worked for years at Oscorp Industries under the visage of Oscorp founder Norman Osborn. Today marks the third week following the incident with a test subject, and so far there have been no side effects, but that doesn't matter anymore; for so long I have worked in the pursuit of making the world a better place for the sake of my superiors, and the hopes of making the future brighter for my son." her voice was shaking as she steadied the camera, trying to hide her face from direct light, her eyes tearing up uncontrollably.

For months she had been fighting this sickness, not that it truly mattered now, she was beyond the point of saving. Her mind was no longer her own to control; she saw things that weren't even real. Each time she lost herself, it took a little longer for her to come back. She was afraid that the next time she lost control, Claudia would never come back. She needed to get this done, because if she could get this done, perhaps her life's work was no longer going to be for nothing.

"Norman Osborn has had a team that I led work on Cross Species Genetics. We have had some remarkable progress with a group of spiders which we have labeled as the X-series. Subject X-12 escaped containment after an accident that left the lid to its container jarred open. The subject ended up biting me, and following intensive tests and investigations into the matter, the research has been disbanded for now."

She wasn't trying to tell her life story, that was somewhere, somewhere safe that she knew one day following her inevitable end her son would find it and uncover the truth about the kind of man Norman Osborn really was. Oscorp's big theme was that it was working to produce a better tomorrow, yet, the only reason that the Cross Species Genetics research had taken place was on orders from Norman to find a way to reverse his degenerative disease known as retroviral hypodysplasia. This was a disease that was host dependant on how quickly the body would break down. Norman was one of the lucky ones, having been able to stand with the disease for over twenty years now in his system, and it was now beginning to appear.

Retroviral hypodysplasia was debilitating by nature following the degeneration of the body's muscles and tissues; Norman hadn't had any issues getting around for the most part, but he was showing signs of illness. Claudia knew that within the next few years, perhaps five, he would start to have trouble getting around unless a cure was found, or a way to hold the disease back at the least.

Claudia kept talking for a few minutes about what her work entailed and how she had something called Frontotemporal Dementia. Her brain was shrinking, and now there was no point in hiding it as today was her last day working for Oscorp Industries. She had to leave because she was a threat to not only herself but also the other workers.

She was heartbroken when she had received the news; Claudia had always been in love with science, and now to know she was being separated from it? This was the moment she had known that there was no coming back to her old life with her dementia affecting her now.

There was no cure for Frontotemporal Dementia, and now she had only one thing left to do, and that was to get the truth out, and to protect her son from the possibility of being brought into Norman Osborn's schemes.

"Hello, Stiles... if you are seeing this, then you have been brought into something that I wish you hadn't. If you found them, you know about the X-95. I don't know if its still alive by the time you find this or how far the research into the Cross Species Genetics has come along, but whatever you do... don't let Norman Osborn find out about the truth about the research. He believes my research has been destroyed, but it's not as you are aware. You have found my research, and somehow you found your way here, and found this... and I hope to god he doesn't find out about you being involved with my research. If he finds out, you will be in more danger than you can ever possibly realize. I love you Stiles, please know that. Your father told me what I'm like when I... you're my son, I love you. Please be safe, be the man I know you can become, I need you to be better than I ever could be... please. If Norman finds out about my secret, what I've kept here at Oscorp, all that I have worked will be for nothing. You can find it, because you and I are more alike than you realize. We think the same, you can understand how I work, and you can find it... you can find..."

Claudia's mind became fuzzy, as she suddenly was unable to speak, and she looked at the camera, her eyes showing nothing but an empty shell of the woman was left. Claudia Stilinski had lost control again, and by the time the camera stopped rolling, the damage she had done was already too great, and she was nowhere to be found.


	4. The Final Night

_Chapter Three: The Final Night_

* * *

"The world we know is gone... we are in a new age, one where mankind is evolving. Amongst us are those with extraordinary abilities, ones that some could only imagine in our wildest dreams. We have no reason to fear these people with these superhuman abilities. Most of these people are scared to reveal themselves for who they truly are because of the attacks on them. That has been made clear in the past couple years with the mutant population. Mutants have been discriminated against, and cast out when discovered. Hate does not make things better, hate creates more hate. This is such the case with someone like the mutant the public knows as Magneto, but I know him by a different name... Eric Lehnsherr, or as the name he originally had...Max Eisenhardt.

"Magneto is the man who everyone fears for the fact he wishes to give the mutants a better life because he knows what it is like to experience that hate... Many do not know this, but when Magneto was a child, he was held in a Nazi concentration camp. Yes, he is a Holocaust survivor, having survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. During one of our many encounters, Magneto went into a very detailed account of his time in the camp. He was forced to watch his mother die because his powers manifested, and the man who ran the camp wanted him to harness his abilities. When Magneto could not move a coin, his mother was shot point blank in the head. Magneto's powers manifested immediately after in a large burst of power... now what caused his powers to manifest in such a manner? He was furious, and would use his anger to access his powers. Magneto was not born because he's evil... not at all. Eric Lehnsherr was a man who had witnessed too much harm against people who were like him, and wished to protect mutants from suffering a fate like his.

"You call Magneto a monster, but in truth he is doing what he feels is right. Magneto believes that the mutants need to be protected, and I agree, but not in the way he is going about it. He fights to put mutants above those who do not have the mutant gene in them... my methods are different.

"I believe that mutants should be taught to control their powers so that they can live a normal life and not be put into the harsh conditions that many find themselves in. If we can help them learn to control their powers, rather than force them to hide them, then we can make things a better place. Of course, there are those few that would rather put themselves first and make everyone else suffer, but that's something we deal with every day... the world is changed, and when it comes to evolution, we must change with it...

"Mankind has evolved."

* * *

 _Those were the words that stuck with every person that heard that speech. Mankind has evolved. They say mankind has evolved, but yet they stick to centuries old thoughts like it's the word of God. How could someone think that one particular group was superior to the others? That's the very thought that set forth countless wars in one indirect manner or another._

 _You see, that speech was from a man named Charles Xavier, who not many people at the time knew, was a mutant, a rather powerful one at that. He's a telepathic mutant that's the namesake of Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. There he gives a home for young mutants and teaches them to use their powers. He's one of the few people the FBI won't touch because he houses mutants. Mutants have been hunted down by the FBI before for being a threat to national security. A lot of the people who were captured tend to be innocent teenagers whose powers have manifested due to puberty. You'd be surprised as to how many people are actually mutants._

 _I understand Xavier's former friend, Eric Lehnsherr, or rather what everybody knows him as... Magneto. I understand the pain he had been through, watching his mother die in front of him, unable to save her. I understand his need to protect his own kind, the only people he feels actually connected to from being harmed the same way he was, but the fact is, by doing that he's become the very thing he's hated for so long. He believes mutants to be superior, and therefore by committing the crimes he has puts more spotlight on the mutants._

 _Of course, mutants weren't the only things that people are worried about. There are others, ones that are labeled as Mutates, people who gained their powers through either experimentation, an accident, or any other way that would not be considered with the X-gene that makes mutants, well, mutants._

 _The world's dangerous, there's no lie about it, and everyone who doesn't have powers or the technology to fight against the new threats facing them find that fighting these battles are more costly._

 _Then of course you have these heroes like the Avengers, a group of superheroes, whether they were super soldiers, a Norse God, sharp shooter, spy, or a man in armor, they protect us from the big threats. There's a couple other teams of superheroes, like the X-Men, the Guardians of the Galaxy... etc... but needless to say there's a lot of people with powers who use them to protect those without powers._

 _Okay, I can tell you're wondering something about me... and I bet I know what it is. How do I fit into this? Well, to start off, I was brought into the world of superheroes and supervillains without a choice... well, I suppose it was a choice, but it quickly spiralled out of my control, let's just say that. So, what's the question on your mind right now?_

 _Ah, if I had to guess, it would probably be the one questilon that has stood the test of time. Who am I? That's probably what you're thinking right about now, aren't you? Well, if that is what you're thinking, before I answer that, I have to ask you, do you really want to know who I am? If it's that you don't_ _ **want**_ _to know but rather you need to know, then let me just rephrase that, are you sure about that? You see, the story of my life is not for the faint of heart._ _I could lie to you and say this was a happy little tale where the hero actually gets his fabled happily ever after, but of course that would be a lie. I don't know if anybody told you anything about me, like perhaps that this was a happy tale, or that I was just your average, ordinary guy without a single care in the world, but if they did... you've been deceived._

 _I am not a guy without a care in the world, in fact it's quite the opposite; I find that I care too much in fact. Everything in my life has been nothing but pain, torment, and loss. So, if somebody did tell you that I was just your average, ordinary guy without a single care in the world, I got something to tell you..._

 _They lied._

* * *

 **Claudia Stilinski's Hospital Room (Eight Years from Present Day)**

* * *

It was nearly three in the afternoon when he got sat down in the small room where the woman laid in bed, peacefully asleep. The eight year old boy held the baseball cap that was so dear to him in his hands ever so carefully, the faded NY lettering on the front being avoided at all costs. The smell in the room assaulted his nostrils, the kid wincing at the scent. He hated the smell of hospitals, it just felt like he was being suffocated. He looked up to take a glance at the woman, her body was still, still enough that if not for the EKG meter connected to her, the boy might have thought there was no life left in her.

He watched from the disgustingly uncomfortable chair as the woman in the bed slept peacefully. He did his best not to fidget – she hadn't slept this peacefully in weeks – but unfortunately his incessant ADHD had his knee bouncing and his fingers dancing against the chair's arm as a way to release energy and pass the time. This whole arrangement of his mother being in the hospital wasn't the best, and if that wasn't bad enough, he felt worse that his favorite pastime recently was watching her sleep. He hadn't seen her sleep so peacefully in weeks... that was one of the worst things about how her situation was now.

He could remember how before she had been admitted to the hospital she would tuck him into bed and say that she would always be there if he needed her... but now the words in his head were saying that she could no longer be there for him. He would go to his parents's room when he had a nightmare and they would hold him in their arms, his mother singing a lullaby to get rid of his nightmares. Now, when if he had a nightmare he had nowhere to go. His father was around of course, but not at nights. No, his father was a police officer and that meant he would have to work late certain days of the week, and even when he didn't his father would come home and pass out like a rock. Today was the third day in a row that he had stayed at the hospital because he protested against going home, because he didn't want to leave his mother.

His father had spoken about how she needed her rest and that they would come back when she was awake, but he refused... he knew the truth, about how when his mother would wake up, it wouldn't be the same woman who would hold him after a nightmare, the one who cheered him on, the person he was proud to call Mom. That was why he enjoyed seeing her sleep, because he liked to think that while she was asleep his mother was actually her... and not the other one. Sleep was her sanctuary, and when she was awake, in her mind it was a living nightmare, and he was the monster under her bed.

His mother's disease twisted her mind into seeing things that weren't really there or happening, and because of that, he couldn't be around when she was awake because she would scream about his supposed plots to kill her; and when she screamed that at the top of her lungs, that was the worst thing he could have ever experienced in his life.

Her face was calm for once and her breathing even. He liked being reminded that a part of his mother still lived in her. The memories they had made in his short eight years of life slowly being washed from her brain was killing him. He remembered the way she used to smile at him across the dinner table, how she cheered him on even as he struck out again at Little League, how they laughed together watching Saturday Night Live when his dad had to work the late shift, and how she would hold him when he had a nightmare to protect him from the monsters under his bed.

He would always remember those times they shared, but she wouldn't. No, now it was a miracle if Claudia remembered she had a son at all. It had been months now, of visiting her in the bleached out, sterile hospital and watching her waste away piece by piece. It wouldn't be long now, the doctors had said, that her suffering would be over soon.

His suffering, he knew, would last forever though. He would never again get to see the smile she saved just for him, or watch from the stairs as she and his father slow-danced around the living room after his bedtime. It wasn't fair. Kids were supposed to have their parents until they became parents themselves and learned all they could. He hadn't even learned a fraction of what she could have taught him.

A tear slipped from his moistened eyes as he thought of everything he would miss because this disease had chosen her. He wiped it away before it could travel past his cheekbone. He had cried so much in the past six months he wasn't sure how he could possibly have any more tears stored up, but somehow he always managed to let a few more slip out every visit.

The nurse who had been taking care of his mom popped her head into the room to inform him that his father was on his way now, that the traffic was holding him back but would be there as soon as he could. He thanked her quietly for letting him know and turned his attention back to the slumbering form in the bed.

He felt a strange urge to let her know exactly what he was thinking and how he felt. So, as quietly as possible and without physically disturbing the bed, he scooted his chair forward as far as it would go and cleared his throat.

"I don't know if you can hear me Mom. I don't even know if you remember me, but I wanted you to know that I love you a lot. I miss you already, and I know I'll miss you more when you're really gone. But, Mom, I don't want you to go. Please stay with me. Remember... I want you to stay with Dad and me. He loves you even more than I do and I know he's going to hurt for a long, long time. You don't want that, right? So you need to get better. For Dad. For me. Please."

His voice broke on the last word and he began to cry. There was no stopping it now. The only sounds in the room were his sobs and the constant and reassuring beep of her heart monitor...

Now, maybe he had been so worked up, hoping for any sign that she remembered him... anything at all, that he imagined through the sobbing and the machines beeps, he could have sworn he had heard her voice call out saying her nickname for him... "Mischief."

* * *

The young boy had just finished going to the bathroom after bawling his eyes dry after pleading with his mother to get better and was looking through glass towards the woman who laid in bed, appearing to be nearly dead by how lifeless the body gave. She opened her eyes slowly to see him standing there, giving a tiny smile as she used her hand to motion him to walk in. He slowly walked in, his eyes watery and red from tears seeing her like that.

"Hey, how's my little Mischief maker doing?" his heart nearly skipped a beat as he realized she had actually remembered him today, and all he could think was that he was so happy to see her, to see the woman he remembered so well. However, seeing her in this state ruined that twinge of joy he had gained from her greeting, and what little bit of a smile he had disappeared. "Sweetie, are you okay?" It was only then that his mother seemed to take in her surroundings and where she was, as even her smile died for a moment. "How long has it been..."

"Two months."

"Was I at work when it happened?" she asked quietly, and all the child could do was nod his head, wiping the fresh tears from his face. "Where's your father at Mischief?"

"Work, he said he'd be here soon, he'll be so happy to see you Mom..." the boy chuckled, trying to cheer himself up, imagining their reunion. "Please, don't go again..."

"You know I can't help it when it happens sweetheart. I wish I could... If I could, I'd never leave." She did her best to sit up, but the pain was far too much for her to do anything. "Come here..." He stepped closer to where he was right beside her, and he could feel her hand run through his hair.

"Mom... you can't die... Dad will be a mess without you." he pleaded, his voice filled with that unmistakable sound of fear and grief combined.

"Stiles, that's why you're around... when I'm gone, you've always have been and always will be the one who keeps him going, and he'll keep you going. It's how family is. I'm not going far, I'll always be with you." She was dying from frontotemporal dementia, which is a disease brought from a shrinkage of the brain that leads to dementia, and eventually death. Claudia was finally unable to battle the disease anymore and was close to succumbing. Stilinski was currently at work and had no idea how close to death his wife was. "Honey, look at me." Stiles had his head down trying not to cry, but as he looked up at her, he had seen something strange about her eyes, appearing to have an animal characteristic to it. "No one ever truly dies... I'll still be here. I can't tell you how sad I am that I won't get to see you grow up to be the great man I know you will. I love you Mischief... and, tell your father I love him..."

It was then that as she took her son's hands into her own, squeezing it lightly and bringing it to her lips kissing them, Stiles watched as she steadily lost all pressure while laying back, her eyes closing; the EKG meter let out a long shrill beep that deafened everything out as doctors ran in, with a still uniformed John Stilinski behind them grabbing Stiles, lifting him away from his mother, taking him out into the hall and Stiles could see his own reflection in the glass... the sound of that EKG meter seemingly echoing across the entire building from the sound of it...

His screams were drowned out as he screamed for his mother to come back, and his father turning him away from the room, covering his face. His mother was gone... and just like that his life would be forever changed.

* * *

The house was dark that night as Officer Stilinski carried his sleeping child into the house, holding him close. Stilinski had no clue as to what he was going to do now as he laid the sleeping boy onto the couch, and he went to his room to change out of his uniform. When he came out of his room, he grabbed the pillow Claudia used and brought it downstairs with a blanket. He laid the pillow underneath his son's head, noticing how the eight year old's hand clung to the pillow as Stilinski laid the blanket down over him.

Stilinski sat across from him in the chair, leaning back and tried his best to fall asleep, but he was conflicted. He had no idea how he was going to raise his son by himself; however what he did know was that he would do anything to protect his son, as that was the only person he had left. Stilinski closed his eyes and took deep breaths trying to find a way to fall asleep.

Shortly after, he felt something touch his leg, and when he opened his eyes he found Stiles standing there with the blanket and pillow in hand. "What's the matter kiddo?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" was all he asked, and Stilinski nodded. Stiles climbed into the chair with him, laying his head on the pillow, blanket covering him, and his father's arm around him. "I don't want you to leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere; I'm not going to leave you. I'm right here." Stilinski reassured him, and the two fell asleep, Stilinski guarding his son from harm's way...

* * *

 _So, yeah... if somebody told you that... they lied to you. You see, my story... my life is one of pain and sorrow, longing and heartache, anger and betrayal... and that was just the high school years._

 _So, who am I? I'm the son of Claudia Stilinski..._

* * *

Claudia Stilinski had only one child with her husband, Officer John Stilinski of the New York Police Department. Her child was a boy named Mieczyslaw Stilinski, named after her father, but because of his name being difficult to pronounce when he was learning how to speak, he was only able to say "mischief" instead of Mieczsylaw. She would always call him by the way he was able to say his name, Mischief Stilinski... but, most people called him by a different name, a nickname that only ran in his father's side of the family: Stiles.

It was tradition for the Stilinski men to go by that nickname, but Stiles' father was a break in the tradition. Officer Stilinski was one of the few people in New York City that genuinely believed in the good within all people, even in the psychotic. There was only one case that Officer Stilinski believed that one man deserved the death penalty, but the man was able to escape his fate due to his mental illness.

Stilinski knew better, he wasn't insane, he was evil incarnate. He had seen the worst situations on the Police force, and tried to keep his son from ever finding about any of it, because Stiles deserved better. He deserved to be spared the lost innocence.

Of everything that had occurred over the years of Claudia's work at Oscorp Industries, the research to save Norman Osborn's life had been the one that she had poured most of her blood, sweat and tears into. She had also been working to save her own once she found out that she had incurable frontotemporal dementia. Everything however had went from bad to worse when one of the early test subjects for the arachnid branch of research bit her. Her symptoms actually progressed faster and made life that much more difficult for her family, especially for her young boy who had to watch her slowly lose herself.

Once Claudia had passed away Stiles had grown up faster than most would have following the death of one of their parents, but Stiles wasn't the average child. A kid with ADHD who had enough energy to outdo a marathon runner in a couple of hours could be tiring, yet the surprising thing was that Stiles instead found different ways to use his energy, following in his mother's footsteps and studying in all different studies. There was neurology, chemistry, physics, the list continued on, but the point was that Stiles knew a lot more about how things worked than some of the world's greatest geniuses did.

This was one thing that no matter what his father did, Stiles was not hidden from the horrors of the world like Stilinski wished; Stiles knew about the criminals that would skin their victims alive, torture them... anything that Stiles could know, he did. He would constantly keep learning more about the criminal world due to his dream of becoming a police officer like his father.

Yet, Stiles hid his gifts for the most part, unless he was in class and had the second highest grade in all of his classes, except for the most popular girl in school, Lydia Martin, the strawberry blonde beauty that had lived next to him ever since they were little kids, but had never spoken to one another.

In his free time, Stiles learning skills to possibly one day become a cop. However, Stiles slowly found out that it was quite easy when you kept your head in a book all day to be targeted by certain cliques, most notably: Bullies/Jocks.

That was something that plagued him more than he liked, but Stiles knew that was merely a part of his life, and he would need to be used to it; Stiles was the best friend of Harry Osborn, while also the rival of Jackson Whittemore who was the captain of the Lacrosse team and the most popular jock in the city., meaning that he was always brought into the middle of their feuds when he was around them. To be honest, those two could fight over anything if they wanted to. There were days when it became too tedious for Stiles to be around the arguing, but Harry was one of his best friends so...

Yet there was always these times where Stiles would have to get in the middle of problems that he wasn't even involved with, as can be expected.

* * *

 **BOOK ONE:** **BIRTH OF A HERO**

* * *

 **Hey guys, so there is the chapter, and I know I should have gotten this done a lot faster than what I did, but I figured I needed a little more to add to the backstory. This was something I wanted to do, to emphasize on the one thing the last version failed to do, focus on one theme... Family. I plan on having a big focus on family, particularly Stiles and his father.**

 **Also, I wanted a way to explain something that in Teen Wolf I don't really know if it was explained, but why Stiles can't sleep without that one pillow. If it did then by all means let me know, but for this story I wanted it to be because it was his mother's and he became attached to it.**

 **Yeah, this story is a little different for me, there's no doubt because I don't really focus that much on the family side to characters, and I plan on doing better with that, because as I have stated on multiple occasions, this book deserves better.**

 **If anyone noticed I did not put Stilinski's real name, Noah down. I originally had him as John Stilinski, and I would prefer to keep him that way. I mean, for my other stories I'll have it be more true to the Teen Wolf characters, but for this story, changing things are going to help a bit. Names, not so much, but hopefully you get the point. I'm making things different.**

 **So, basically I would like to answer a couple reviews as they had some information to talk about and I want to answer them as I like to respond to my reviewers.**

 **Guest: I am aware that Stiles's real name is Mieczyslaw, and for the book, Claudia was making that video for Stiles, believing he would be near adulthood when he found it, hence why she called him Stiles. It's just a personal choice I made, and I have no quarrel with it.**

 **ALL READERS: As to why I changed the prologue's article to where it was Liz wtih Lydia the day Spider-Man showed up instead of it being Allison is because I decided to hold her off until the beginning of the Season One arc like a lot of people wanted. This way I could do with the characters as I pleased and things could be fresh when Allison showed up.**

 **Anywho, that's what I've got for this chapter, and when I update again the story will actually begin. So, please review and I will see you guys soon with another update.**

 **Let me know what kind of ideas or questions you have for the story, and I will be sure to get back to you.**


	5. A New Dawn

_Chapter Four: A New Dawn_

* * *

 **Oscorp's New York Mainland Facility**

 **Hempstead, New York**

* * *

Yes, Claudia Stilinski took her research with her when she died, and now Norman could only hope that they could one day recreate the results she had all those years ago. That was his one hope that he could hold onto, finding that crucial element to the Cross Species Research that would save his life. He had the magical liquid, all he needed was his Arachne to answer his prayers.

Norman stepped out of the lab and into his office, looking quietly through the windows and towards the pink hue of the sky as the sun began to rise over New York that morning. He felt like this was a new dawn, and things were finally going to get better. That was all he could ever hope for, was a better dawn for his family. After the death of his dear wife Emily Osborn, the mother of his only son, Norman swore to do anything to keep his family safe and together.

He wasn't just trying to get the cure for his Retroviral Hypodysplasia, he was trying to ensure that Harry never had to deal with the same thing that he had to. The disease was hereditary, meaning that Harry could get it. Norman reached over to the desk and grasped Claudia Stilinski's file in his hand, and the photo of the scientist hung loosely by a paperclip on the outside of it.

"What did you do with your research Claudia?"

* * *

 **Queens, New York**

* * *

It was early in the morning when sixteen year old Stiles Stilinski exited his house with his school bag hanging loosely over his shoulder. Today was the one of the few days where Stiles didn't even want to get out of bed. With the past few months he could only guess as to how the day might play out. Crime was at an all time high, with the appearance of certain super powered individuals that were spread throughout the world.

There was rumors of a man-panther running around attacking dangerous men in the country of Wakanda, or so that was what Stiles had heard. In Manhattan alone, there was that armored superhero known as Iron Man, having been seen in the news recently for large battles with Whiplash who continued to evade capture narrowly. Talks about a Hulking monster had spread around recently, and the word was the beast was last seen near the Himalayas.

Government agencies like S.H.I.E.L.D. worked to keep the super powered criminals and even heroes in check, but there was only so much they could do. For the super powered beings that were gifted with it from birth, such as mutants that gained them after hitting puberty, they were in danger of disappearing from other shady government agencies. Stiles knew a few people that had went missing in the past few months, and more than likely they were mutants.

Needless to say the list went on with these appearances from super powered individuals, but that wasn't even why Stiles didn't want to leave his house. It wasn't the people with abilities that scared him, it was the people who didn't. See, it was one thing to worry about being attacked by the unknown, but the people who went out of their way to make themselves capable of taking on the unknown, that was what scared Stiles.

Back when there was the search for a serum to create a Super Soldier, people using drugs would be on a rampage with abilities unlike any other, and now those kinds of drugs were more refined, and the ways people could gain powers were more diverse now. Surgeries, exo-suits, radiation exposure, science experiments gone awry, or armor that turned its user into a giant fireball was all something Stiles expected to be ways for that to happen.

See, Stiles wasn't worried about that, he was worried about his father. Considering that his father was a police officer, the thought of coming home and receiving a visit from police saying that his father wouldn't be coming home was something that he was terrified of. That was more than likely the only thing that he was truly scared of. His father was the only family he had left, he couldn't lose him.

Stiles trudged his way over to his trusty jeep, which he had nicknamed Roscoe. This jeep was his baby, having been given to him just last year, and it was something that he treasured. His mother had owned it before she passed away eight years ago, and Stiles couldn't get rid of it, even if the thing was falling apart. He touched the door, looking at the areas where the paint was peeling, and gave a sad smile.

"Looks like I need to get you painted Roscoe," he stated with a loving voice, opening the door and tried to start the jeep. As he got it started, he watched smoke come out of the hood. "among other things." He heard the engine die and Stiles growled before jumping out and moving to the front of it. Opening the hood, he was consumed in the cloud of smoke. "God, I think I need to get more duct tape."

That was his first lesson when Roscoe acted up for the first time, duct tape fixes everything. He laughed at the thought of it, but in reality duct tape had gotten him through hard times with this jeep. There would be that inevitable day when he would need to take the jeep in and get it worked on, but for today he would hopefully not have to worry about that.

 _Let's get today over with, buddy._ With that he put the tape on where he needed to, and shut the hood.

* * *

Opening the door to his locker, Stiles looked at his reflection in the mirror he kept inside of it. His hair was disheveled as always, his face was surprisingly paler than what people expected as Stiles hung outside quite a bit, but still had some color to him. Most people expected him to be super tan like someone off of Jersey Shore or something, but Stiles knew that those people used spray tans probably, so he didn't want to partake in that Stiles didn't know why, but he definitely wasn't worrying about the shade of his skin.

He was wearing his signature plaid – a checkered red and black shirt, with a white t shirt underneath. His jeans looked rather washed up, as if he hadn't remembered to put it through a washing machine in over two years. His book bag was hanging so loosely off of his right shoulder that a couple of students expected it to fall to the ground at any second. His shoes weren't even tied properly, just tucked inside against his socks. If it wasn't clear enough, Stiles was nowhere rich like the Osborns, he could barely afford to keep his jeep running.

Who was Stiles Stilinski though? That was what every teacher and adult said when it came to a person, who are they?

Stiles thought of himself as the average nobody that was always ignored unless he forced himself into a conversation or scene. The only extracircular activities he took was basketball and lacrosse, and basketball was currently in season.

As he closed the locker knowing that he had a bit before school began, he decided to walk down the hall towards the courtyard of the school while doing some work that he needed to get done. His camera bounced along his neck as he walked through the hall, the photos that he had on it had finally developed in the darkroom, and he needed to get them before he could do anything else, so he headed down to the darkroom to get the finished copies.

He made sure that he grabbed the photos and then headed on his way. Midtown High was where Stiles went to school at, located in Queens, New York, and Stiles wouldn't have it any other way, this was where he belonged as he felt. Stiles kept his head down trying not to draw the wrong attention.

However, his attempts to avoid contact with anyone was destined to fail as a girl named Tracy Stewart walked up to him with a smile.

"Hey..." she said, catching Stiles's attention making him look towards her with a slightly raised eyebrow. "It's Stiles right?"

"Yeah."

"I really like your photos." Stiles smiled at the compliment, considering how much work he had to do just to get them.

"Uh thanks..."

"Anyway, I was wondering if you're uh, busy on Friday night?" Stiles stood there for a moment with the most dumbfounded look on his face, before shaking his head, gaining a small laugh from Tracy. "Cool, can you take photos of my boyfriend's car? I just really want to get him a good one for his birthday" If this was a cartoon, surely there would have been the sound of a trumpet doing the failure bit or better yet, the sound of breaking glass.

"Wow, that's real nice of you. Wow that's just a nice thought. I, uh, I'll check the old schedule book and let you know."

"Great... thanks!" said Tracy as Stiles took off out of there, and went around the corner to the News Bulletin board that he had to go to in order to place some photos he had taken for some of the clubs up. He had put up the Cyclones Debate club up, seeing a blonde in the photo, smiling a little bit. For a moment things were actually good for Stiles just seeing the photo, until a basketball came like a bullet out of nowhere, smacking him in the side of the head, throwing him off guard and nearly went into a Mortal Kombat position, but thankfully didn't due to his better judgement.

The basketball was thrown by Stiles's rival and sometimes teammate on the school's Lacrosse and Basketball team, Jackson Whittemore among some of the more rude jocks. "Morning Stilinski... sorry about that!" Jackson laughed a little bit as Stiles tossed the basketball to him. "You need to work on those reflexes man, you'll never get to play a game if you don't get better, Greenberg has a better shot at playing than you right now."

"Yeah, morning Jackson." he replied with a fake smile before closing the glass case and began walking away before Jackson taunted him making Stiles jump a bit.

"See ya around Stilinski." Stiles rolled his eyes as soon as he made sure Jackson nor his clique would see it, and bit his lower lip in frustration. He decided it was best if he walked outside to hopefully avoid running into the Jock horde again, and found that his best friends Harry Osborn and Scott McCall were outside waiting for him.

This was his favorite part of the day when he saw his best friends sitting together waiting for him to show up. Scott had always been there for him, and Harry, well Harry hadn't really been friends with Stiles for that long, maybe a year at most, but they were best friends now, and that was all that mattered to Stiles. The sun shined down upon the courtyard as he stepped into the light, his disgust turning into a bright smile.

"Hey guys!" Stiles called as he sat down by the two teenagers, who were in the middle of a conversation. "What are you guys talking about?"

"We were talking about Biology class."

"What about it?"

"Do you have any idea on what's going down today?" asked Scott, and Stiles tilted his head like a dog, almost like he was unsure of just how unsure he actually was. "Of course you don't... figures. Anyway, it appears that we're having a lab today in Biology, and considering you and a certain strawberry blonde are in the same class I can imagine how the teacher will put the groups together."

"Look, as much as I appreciate you guys trying to get my confidence up to even approach her, you have to remember that I just got out of a relationship, I don't want to get back into one. In fact, dating is like one of the last things I'm worried about."

"We're just trying to help you out," Scott reassured him, but Stiles wasn't too worried about it.

"Hold up... and even if I was focused on that, Ms. Valentine is not Cupid, she just puts people together based on their grades, and considering my grades with Lydia's, we get paired pretty often, even though we don't talk in there."

"Whoa, hold up, you guys don't even talk while you two are doing the labs? How do you get any work done?" Harry asked, shocked by this revelation.

"We're the smartest people in class, we just do the work by ourselves, and leave each other alone. Plus, let me just remind you that even if I did like Lydia, she is dating Jackson, there's no chance for me to get anywhere near her without him breathing down my neck; he would rip my eyes out for just looking at her if he was able to."

"That's not what I'm saying dude, you lay the foundation to work up to that beautiful relationship, and when Jackson dumps her or she realizes how much better she can do, you can glide on in and sweep her off of her feet. You get what I'm saying?" Harry chuckled, but Stiles wasn't really paying that much attention anymore as he watched a blonde girl exit the school and enter the courtyard. "Stiles, what are you doing?"

"I'll be back," Stiles called as he got to his feet and took off after her. "Erica! Hold up!"

"He's going to be a downer for the rest of the day now, isn't he?" Harry asked lightly, rubbing his forehead, as Scott laid his head back against the tree. "I'll take that as a yes."

Stiles hopped alongside Erica Reyes, the girl he had been dating for over a year, but had recently broken up with. "Erica, can't you at least talk to me? You've been avoiding me for weeks."

"What's there to talk about Stiles? I told you that it's over, that's all there is to it." She hissed, stopping Stiles in his place, causing him to look rather shocked by her tone.

"I thought that just because we're not dating anymore that we could still be friends. I don't want things to be awkward all the time because you keep trying to avoid me. I just want to know what I did."

"It's not what you did, Stiles... it's not even about you. It was my choice in ending the relationship, and.." she stopped and took a deep breath trying to calm herself. Her voice was shaky, and she was shivering.

"Erica, I just want to know what changed... that's it. I don't want to cause any problems, just tell me what made you break up with me... please." he touched her arm, and Erica turned away and walked off, leaving Stiles standing there more confused than anything.

Before they had broken up they had been, at least in Stiles's eyes, a happy couple that had no problems. They never argued, Stiles was always the gentlemen and making sure she felt that she was cared about, and everything else she wanted. He would help her through her seizures if he was there, and there were times where Erica wouldn't even want to come to school because she was embarrassed over her seizures. Flash Thompson was the only other person that helped her through the seizures, which he would reply with it was something that shouldn't be just ignored.

That was the one time Stiles and Flash had ever gotten along, when it came to Erica being okay. Why she was avoiding him now, he had no clue, but he knew that if he pushed too hard it might be crossing the line.

"I guess I'll see you around then..." The bell for first hour rang, and Stiles was lost in the crowd of students that walked around him; by the time the crowd dispersed, Stiles was gone.

* * *

Biology was one class that Stiles excelled in particularly, because they went over stuff that he had already known for three to four years by this point. While the school might have said that Lydia Martin was the smartest student in the school, that wasn't entirely true. Stiles was a lot smarter than he actually let on, but seeing as there was no way his father could ever pay for a private school like the one he could technically go to, he was fine with going to a regular school like Midtown High. Sitting down by Lydia, he looked down at his hands, watching them fidget slowly in a pattern that he couldn't exactly explain all that well, because well there was no clear way to explain it.

Lydia Martin was as beautiful as ever, Stiles noted as he caught a small glance at her, and thought about his mother. Following her death Stiles had first talked to Lydia over the matter, and that was the only time they really ever talked. They had been neighbors since they were in the third grade, and yet they had only really talked one time. Yet, Lydia never seemed to forget their conversation as once a year around the anniversary of Claudia's death she would ask him if he was doing okay. He had a small smile form at that as Ms. Valentine went on about their lab for today, and Stiles was lost in his thoughts for the most part. By the time he even realized it, he was being poked by Lydia. "Huh?"

"You're not doing anything, not that I'm concerned but I figured there's something up with you." Lydia explained, motioning towards Stiles's untouched paper. "What's the deal?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something, that's all."

"There's only one thing that makes you wander off into space Stilinski, and that's your mother... what made you think of her?"

"I don't know, she just kind of pops in my head every now and then, not much I can do about it." Stiles replied, and he watched as she gave a light smile as a way to explain that she understood. "Uh, what are we supposed to do again?"

"Just, it'll take too long to explain, just copy my work."

"Copy? Why Ms. Martin, that's plagarism, but thank you." He did as Lydia told him too, copying what work she had done, and went from there, and in a matter of a few minutes both of them were done. "You messed up by the way."

"Excuse me? I don't mess up."

"Oh, I think you did... that's not supposed to be there, you're one mark off. Anybody could make that mistake." Lydia examined her work, and then upon realizing what Stiles had done to her, she glared at him with her infamous thousand year death stare.

"Hardy har har, very funny Stilinski."

"I do have my moments." he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yup, a never ending source of comedy gold..." Stiles drifted back into his own thoughts, and the rest of the day just got away from him.

* * *

 **Manhattan**

* * *

"So, what do we have?" asked Officer John Stilinski as he arrived at the crime scene. Fellow officers had already closed off the perimeter in an effort to keep the civilians out, and were currently searching for evidence.

"Third one this month John. Caucasian female, most likely about seventeen. Matches the description of the previous two victims we've found in the ten block radius." Officer Diaz, Stilinski's partner explained as he got off of his knees and walked over. "I suppose all the rumors running around about a serial killer is true. Just when I thought things were going to be better with Cletus Kasady finally behind bars."

"You already know that there's more than one psycho in this city that likes killing people in disgusting ways." The other first responder, Officer Parrish replied, gaining a small snarl from Diaz. Parrish and Diaz did not get along, especially since Parrish was quickly rising through the ranks of the NYPD.

"Yeah, but how many people do you know that kill their victims and then proceed to cut off the victim's face?" Diaz snarled back, as Stilinski looked at the body with no face.

"You know, I heard about this one guy circulating through the criminal underworld, he can look like anyone, and sound like them as well. This might be how that's possible." Stilinski mentioned, having heard it muttered by a couple of men he had detained a week earlier.

"It could be that whoever did this wanted to make it harder for us to identify the victims."

"If that were true, then they would have done something more Parrish, like remove the teeth and fingers, so dental or fingerprint identification was no longer possible."

"Maybe the perp just isn't that smart?"

"Smart enough to not leave a trail for us."

"Yet." Stilinski retorted as he noticed something in the woman's left hand, something dark. Stilinski pulled a pair of latex gloves out of his pocket and knelt down. He took the object out of the woman's hand, to find that it was a pair of broken glasses.

"Something tells me that doesn't belong to our vic..."

"We need to get this to the lab, perhaps we can get some DNA off of it." Stilinski ordered as he got to his feet, "maybe we'll be able to get this guy before a fourth victim shows up."

"Yeah, we can only hope."

From above, on a nearby rooftop stood a man in a black leather jacket, his eyes were shimmering with a icy blue hue as the sunlight hit him, and he growled. _ **Another one... thank god it's not her. I still have time. I need to find her before it's too late. He won't get away with this, not if I have anything to do with it. Why do I know that man, that John? His scent is so familiar... it smells like that woman, Dr. Gajos... or whatever her name is now. For all I know she got married by the time I disappeared. It doesn't matter, he's connected to her, and I owe her... I've got to do something about this...**_

* * *

 **Hey guys, so there's the new chapter, and by the way, I am connecting everything, you see there's multiple layers, and while you may not realize, everything in this book happens for a reason, you just need to hold out for a little bit to understand. This chapter didn't have a lot to do with the main story, but it does set up for some great things. The end scene with Officer Stilinski, that sets up our first story arc... I will explain more as we get in, but for those who read the previous version, and have a feeling you know that man looking at the scene, don't reveal anything.**

 **So, here's what I have to say for now:**

 **Do me a favor, and in the reviews give me your best idea who that man might be. And also, pairings wise, who would you like to see occur. (Do not say m/m pairings that are not canon for the character. Even if you say they are hinted as bisexual by the creators. Please and thank you) I do not plan on having Stydia happen right away if the majority would like it, as sort of a end goal kind of deal, you know? So, let me know your wishes for that, and such.**

 **So, as said, please let me know who you think that man is, and what pairings you would like.**

 **So, a minor challenge for you guys... if you guys can give ten reviews for this chapter, I will give two chapters next time, for this time only. So this is one of those one time only kind of deals. Ten reviews for this chapter = 2 chapters updated next time.**

 **Anywho, until next time guys, review and I'll see you guys soon, and I do mean soon.**


	6. Natural Selection

_Chapter Five: Natural Selection_

* * *

 _When it comes to my Dad and Norman Osborn, our families haven't really been on good terms. After Mom died, Dad hated Norman Osborn will all of his being. I don't know, but I just have this feeling that if not for me being friends with Harry, Dad might have tried to make sure I was never around the Osborn family. There have been times where I've gotten into trouble and Dad's got pretty heated because usually it involved Harry, but it was never quite intentional._

 _The principal or anyone else can say that Harry started the fight and I merely stepped in to help and got hurt, but the truth was that I was the one that usually started the problem because I wanted to help somebody and I got attacked because of it. Harry would step in and take care of the problem, and if he couldn't, well Scott and I would step in. Scott never got in trouble because he was trying to break the fight apart, but because of my early involvement with it, I would always get in trouble. There have been about five times I've been in trouble for fights, and each time I got away okay because technically I never threw a punch during it. I would be taken to the principal's office to have a word over the matter but the punishment usually went towards that guy who hit me._

 _I could be the only one that was fought, but if Harry even lays a single hand on somebody, he's immediately marked as the other side of the fight._

 _So, what could have possibly happened that really marked a bad day for my friendship with Harry Osborn? Well, that was because I got involved into an altercation with Eugene "Flash" Thompson, and instead of letting Harry take care of it by himself, I was stupid enough to get involved even more…let's just say Dad and Norman won't be very happy to see each other._

* * *

 **The following day...**

"Put him down man," was the four exact words that started the problem in the first place that Stiles spoke, looking at Flash Thompson, a friend of Jackson's, holding a guy by the name of Gordon by his legs, nearly having the poor guy in a tray of food.

Before anything else happened, let's clear things up, Midtown High School, or sometimes known as Midtown Science High School wasn't exactly known for it having the brightest students in the world, they did have quite a few, earning the "science" in the name... but there were a few that could be described as giant idiots who wouldn't know how to breathe if it wasn't automatically known when they were born. Stiles, for one, had inherited his mother's level of intellect thankfully, easily making him a genius. There was a price of being a "nerd," and that price was the classic penalties of being the targets of bullies, or in Stiles's case, Jackson and his friends. It wasn't that bad if it was only Jackson, but when it came to his friends they were kind of a big threat.

There were a few people in Jackson's group that Stiles knew: Kenny "Kong" McFarlane, an obese but very strong guy that was Jackson's best friend when it came to torturing Stiles or any student at school. There was also Eugene "Flash" Thompson who was the biggest troublemaker by far at Midtown, and there wasn't much to say about Flash. There was also Danny Mahealani, but he wasn't like the rest of them, Danny was the only guy who didn't bother Stiles or any other students. Danny was actually a friend to Stiles, as they often partnered up for some projects in Biology. The few times they didn't team up in class Danny was forced with Jackson as a partner.

There was one thing that had always kind of bothered Stiles when it came to a few things, like how there was literally no consequences for Jackson and his gang, but Stiles couldn't really complain as he simply learned to basically ignore it, he just didn't like it when other students were targeted. There was going to be eventually a breaking point and Stiles was going to hate the fallout of it, and sometimes it couldn't be helped, and this... this was the precursor to the breaking point.

"Eat your vegetables Gordon!" that moment was just something that occurred routinely. Stiles didn't like this at all, seeing that Flash always chose random students as his next victim, and today that victim was Gordon. Flash was ignoring Stiles, and for some god awful reason, he was trying to get the one guy who could easily beat the living crap out of him to face Stiles. One question was going through Stiles's mind at this moment. _AM I INSANE?_

There was a large crowd gathered at the school courtyard, cheering in Flash's favor, not expecting someone like Stiles to get Flash's complete attention. Watching from the crowd was Harry, and the thing was the tension anymore between Harry and Jackson was so tense that you could almost cut it, especially when Jackson's group was involved, and more than likely today was the wrong time for Stiles to be the good guy.

"Stilinski, take a photo."

"No Flash, just put him down."

"Take the photo Stilinski."

"Put him down Eugene!" shouted Stiles, making Flash stop and turn to face him, dropping Gordon in a heartbeat. "Hey, you alr..." Within an instant white hot pain seared through Stiles's jaw, and he fell to the ground, unsure of what had just transpired right there, but by the sensation going through his jaw, the answer was clear. It was Flash.

The next few second Stiles was stumbling to his feet, a knee flying into his chest, and when he saw who had hit him, he wasn't surprised that he was right that it was Flash who had hit him while he was down. To Stiles's surprise though, it was Scott who was helping him up as Harry was now fighting Flash.

Fists were flying, and the next thing he knew was Harry and Scott pulling Stiles back to his feet after the disoriented teen had fallen back down. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Stiles growled as he stood up and watched as Flash came running towards Harry, prepared to hit him once more, but Stiles had enough. He was already hit once, and he wasn't going to just be hit again.

He pushed himself forward, slamming his fist into the side of Flash's face, knocking him back just barely. Flash looked at Stiles with shock, but that shock turned to malicious joy as Flash wiped the corner of his lip from where Stiles's fist had caught him.

"Oh, I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Stiles groaned, as Harry tried to get back in the fight, but was caught by Kong. Kong held Harry back, the large man easily capable of holding Harry down. Scott stood back, knowing that if he tried to help Stiles things were only going to get worse.

Flash slammed into him, and before Stiles even managed to figure out what was going on his feet had already left the ground. The teen hit the table, Flash pinning him down, and his fist raised back.

"What are you waiting for, Eugene... just get it over with." Stiles growled through his pain, and Flash unleashed all of his fury onto Stiles. Scott winced with every hit, listening to Stiles's pained grunts as each consecutive punch landed precisely where Flash wanted it to, breaking down Stiles' mental barriers until finally the teenager would go down.

Honestly, Stiles figured it would probably go this way, with Harry being taken out of the way and Flash having his way, like always, and of course, he was powerless to do anything about this situation. That was what bothered Stiles the most about this; it wasn't the fact he was getting the snot beat out of him, or that nobody could get him out of this predicament... it was the fact that he couldn't do anything to change this. He always felt powerless, and he was so tired of feeling that way.

Stiles looked up as Flash stopped for a moment and saw how angry the jock was at him, and he knew that he was either going to fgo down, or he was going to get beat again, and if Stiles could be honest, going down right about now sounded really, really pleasant.

"You need to just give up Stilinski..."

"If I did that, that would take the fun away from you, and why should I neglect you?" he replied with a heavy sigh as his chest hurt with the small amount of pressure he had put against it.

Flash lowered his head, giving Stiles the impression that he was contemplating the possibility of stopping, but then he watched the jock's head lift up and this new determination was back on his smug face, and Stiles knew what he was about to do.

He closed his eyes, ready for the next hit, but much to his surprise the hit never came. When he reopened them, he found Erica was standing between them. She had her hand on Flash's arm, and he could practically see the pain in her body language.

"Flash, please... stop. He's had more than enough. Just look at the guy, if you hit him any more, you may end up doing a lot more damage than your conscience can take."

"Erica, step out of the way."

"Flash, if not for yourself, stop for me." Erica pleaded, and Stiles watched with shock as Flash lowered his arm and backed away.

"Fine, for you. Count yourself lucky Stilinski, it could have been worse." Stiles rolled off of the table and onto the ground, where he was met by Scott a couple seconds later.

"Stiles, I'm sorry man, I should have done something, you-" Scott started, but Stiles motioned him to stop talking, as he spit out blood.

"Scott, it's fine. I started it, if you had tried to help me, you would have been hurt too. Don't worry about it," he assured Scott, as he was helped to his feet once more. Kong had let go of Harry by this point, and Harry was recovering his breath at the moment while the crowd began to disperse.

"Are you out of your mind, Stiles?" Erica asked as she stepped over to him, wiping blood off of his chin. "Seriously, you know that Flash can beat you in a fight, and yet you still antagonize him, why?"

"I'm sorry, but while I can handle being bullied by him and the others, I can't handle seeing him bully other students. I'd rather take the punishment than see them suffer for it."

"You could have gotten yourself really hurt."

"Erica, you said it yourself, you and I, we're not dating... so why are you so worried about me?"

"Because, even though we're not together, I do still care about you. I don't get why you're so determined to get yourself into these kind of situations Stiles. I swear that sometimes you're invisible Stiles, and that the only way you feel you can be seen is to do something stupid and reckless like that. Stiles, honestly, I hate to say it but sometimes it feels like if you were to just disappear one day, nobody would even notice. You don't make any impact on the people around you unless it's stupid altercations like these. If this is your way of trying to be seen, then maybe you shouldn't be seen, because I can't handle seeing you get hurt like this." Erica had tears in her eyes when she spoke, but Stiles wasn't even focused on that, he was focused on what she said about him being invisible.

"Then don't look..." he growled lowly, as she looked at him with surprise. "Treat me like everyone else does, like I'm invisible. Maybe then you won't care what happens to me."

"Stiles, I didn't mean it like that."

"No, but that's what you said. If you feel that way, then you should just go. I didn't need you to step in, when you clearly didn't want to." Stiles turned away from her, as Erica lowered her head and walked away, not even saying another word.

"Man, let's get you to the nurse to make sure you're okay. You might have a concussion or something."

"What's going on here?" growled the principal as he stepped into the courtyard seeing the injured teenager while Flash and Kong were trying to get out of there before they could get in trouble for the fight. "Thompson, McFarlane! You two aren't going anywhere."

"Great..." Stiles groaned, knowing that his father was now going to show up to the school in a little bit once the principal heard about the fight. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

"What were you thinking Harry? You can't afford to keep getting into fights to protect that friend of yours." Norman Osborn's voice echoed as Stiles sat with an ice pack against his jaw, the pain having numbed by now. "You're lucky the principal is letting you off with a warning, again... one more time and you're going to face the consequences."

 _It wasn't even his fault, it was mine._

"Where's my son?" came the voice Stiles had been waiting on, it was his father's. Officer John Stilinski entered the nurse's office where Stiles was. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine Dad, my jaw hurts a little bit." Stilinski nodded before giving him a look that told Stiles: You didn't answer the million dollar question bud. "A couple of students were picking on a guy, so I went to stop it, but I got hit and Harry helped me out, that's all."

"So, that's why Norman Osborn is out there talking to him like a mad dog." Stiles nodded. There wasn't that much that Stiles truly knew about Norman Osborn, although he did know that his mother worked there before. When he thought about his mother's research something had brought up his mother's death to spring back into his mind...

"Everything alright son?" asked Stilinski noticing Stiles staring off into space.

"I'm fine."

"You want to go home? I mean, we might need to take you to the hospital to make sure you don't have a concussion."

"I said I'm fine Dad, it was a weak punch anyway." he lied, even though it was clear that the punch had been stronger than Stiles implied due to the ice pack.

"I'll be back in an hour, I'm still on call, and then I'm taking you home." Stiles nodded as Stilinski patted him on the shoulder "I just need to have a word with Mr. Osborn."

"Uh, okay... I'll see you then." Stiles watched him leave the nurse's office and step in front of Norman.

"Ah, John... long time no see. How are you?" Norman asked in a polite tone, but Stiles could see his teeth were grinding together, and his hands were tightening up ever so slightly.

"Look, you can cut the crap, you don't like me, and I don't like you. Your son, he's not a bad kid, but I want you to know, if anything happens to my son because of your family, I will ensure that you pay. You can say that Claudia died from her frontotemporal dementia, but before that accident she was doing fine. After, she was dead within a matter of three months. I know you're the reason she died when she did, and because of it Stiles suffered. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, but if anything happens..."

"John, I have never talked to your son for more than five minutes, and even then it was one time. From what I heard, if not for my son Stiles would have been far worse off. So, do yourself a favor and lower your tone because you are out of line. You don't need to come back to get Stiles, because I will be more than happy to take him home, or do you not trust me to ensure your son gets home okay?"

"You heard what I said Osborn. I want you to remember that..." Stilinski left the office, leaving Norman and Harry alone while Stiles stood in the nurse's office having listened to their conversation

Stiles walked into the office where Norman was still speaking with Harry. "Mr. Osborn? May I have a word with you?"

"Ah, sure thing Mr. Stilinski. What would you like to speak about?"

"It wasn't his fault that he was trying to help me, there were this guy being picked on, and I tried to stop it but instead got attacked, and Harry helped me. I just don't want you to get upset at him for something that he couldn't help."

"I understand, believe me, I'm just telling Harry that he needs to consider what the consequences will be if he keeps being the hero. Sometimes it's better to be a bystander rather than a hero Mr. Stilinski..."

"What's that supposed to be mean?"

"A little thing called natural selection; sometimes we have to stand by and let nature take its course. If we get in the way of natural selection, and try to be a hero, we can often find ourselves on the wrong end of that fight. You have to choose your battles, and when you do, make sure when you do fight, you need to know that what you're fighting for has a good reason; it needs to be a good enough of a reason that you won't regret."

"Natural Selection..." Stiles repeated as Norman studied the teenager.

"Now, would you like a ride home?"

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind. I have no way home unless I get a ride anyway, my jeep is out of commission. It didn't start this morning."

"Then how about the two of you come with me, I figure it's time we have a chat anyhow."

* * *

 _It wasn't the first time that I had talked to Norman Osborn in his personal limo; yeah, you heard me, he has a personal freaking limo. Talk about being rich. Anyhow, the first time I really talked to Norman was a few months ago when my jeep broke down and I was stuck in the rain working on it. The limo stopped and Harry asked me if I wanted a ride, which by that point I was more than willing to get in with my father's sworn enemy._

 _I would never forget that day, because it was the first time I noticed what kind of a man Norman really was..._

* * *

 _ **There's the chapter guys, and the next chapter will be up soon, I am glad you guys reached ten reviews for the last chapter, and as promised I will have the two chapters up today as promised. Now, when I say today, I mean within twenty four hours of each other.**_

 _ **So, my question is for this chapter because of what the content is... Do you think Stiles's father has a good reason to believe that Norman is responsible for Claudia's death or is he just wanting someone to blame for his pain and suffering. Also, as a second question, I personally want to know, how dark would you like the story to be when I get things rolling? Because right now I am planning on that serial killer arc, one that I have connections to a well known character within the Marvel universe, one that might have been already referenced within the past couple chapters.**_

 _ **To be honest, this chapter and the upcoming one is kind of a two-parter, because these two chapters are more about the relationships between the Stilinskis and the Osborns, particularly Norman and Stiles's parents.**_

 _ **The whole point of these early chapters is to set up the background of the story before I get too far into it. If I keep a consistent tone with the book I will be less likely to venture away from it like I did the previous versions.**_

 _ **Honestly, that's also what I'm doing with my Teen Wolf/The Flash crossover, Speed Force Conduits: Legend of the Speedsters, which will be updated soon, it's just that I'm getting that prepped for the next couple updates because I'm trying to get stuff rolling that way.**_

 _ **Now, as I saw in some of your reviews you mentioned for pairings that involved Stiles's clones. This made me wonder, what big Spider-Man arcs did you guys want to see when we get down the road? Obviously you guys want a form of the Clone Saga, in which I will reveal which clones I have planned. Ben Reilly, Jessica Drew, Cassie Stilinski, Kaine Hale (a clone made from Stiles and Derek's DNA).**_

 _ **So, as a kind of a third question, what arcs do you want? Let me know in the reviews the answers to these three questions:**_

 _ **1\. Do you think Stiles's father has a good reason to believe that Norman is responsible for Claudia's death or is he just wanting someone to blame for his pain and suffering**_

 _ **2\. How dark would you guys like the story to be?**_

 _ **3\. What comic arcs would you like to see?**_

 _ **Let me know in the reviews, and I will be back soon with that second update.**_


	7. Family Bonds

_Chapter Six: Family Bonds_

* * *

When they had first met, Stiles's jeep had stopped working during the middle of a storm, leaving him stranded. He had spent nearly an hour working on his jeep to no avail. Imagine Stiles's surprise when he saw a limo stop beside him and roll down the window, the passengers inside asking him if he wanted a ride home.

Flashforward a year to today, and Stiles could have said that was one of the better days he's had in High School, considering this was when he and Harry became friends. They had always talked before, but their friendship didn't really blossom until that afternoon. He was glad that limo stopped by his jeep that day, because if not for that day, he and Harry might have not been best friends by now.

Sitting in this limo today, however, he couldn't have been more creeped out by the strange energy he was getting from Norman. His hands were clammy, and Stiles's throat was dry, like he wasn't meant to say a word.

"So, Stiles... Harry tells me you're planning on going to Empire State University once you graduate. That's a smart choice, especially since you should be able to get a scholarship with your intellect."

"I hope so, because we don't have the money to pay for college."

"I'd be more than happy to help out if you are in need of money," Norman offered, but Stiles was hesitant as he looked towards the elder Osborn and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You don't need to do that Mr. Osborn, I'm sure we'll figure something out. We always do." Norman nodded, appearing rather pleased that Stiles was reluctant to have any help. "Anyway, Harry, are you coming over tomorrow to study?"

"Yeah, it's nice for a change to see a lab that's not modernized like Oscorp is." Harry smiled eying his father whose eyes grew wide at the mention of a lab.

"Lab you say?" Norman asked with intrigue, and Stiles could see how the cogs in Norman's head were turning rapidly trying to figure something out. "What kind of lab do you have?"

"It was my mother's for when she came home with her work. She was very devoted to her research, and even had studies of her own that she was trying out. I use it on occasion when I want to test something but otherwise it's mainly where I work on homework."

"Interesting, Stiles, would you like to work at a place like Oscorp one day?"

"Do you mean like would I like to work at Oscorp, or similar fields of work?" Stiles wondered, trying to understand what Norman meant by this offer. Norman's eyes were cold and calculating, and Stiles had this strange feeling Norman was sizing him up trying to figure out the teenager.

"Whichever one you prefer."

"I've always wanted to work at a place like Horizon Labs. I mean, I've thought about Oscorp, because of my mother having worked there before she passed away, but I want to do my own thing, you know what I mean?"

"Ah, I see... you don't want to live underneath your mother's shadow?" Stiles slightly nodded and felt his face turn red as he noticed that sly smile form on the elder Osborn.

Harry saw how nervous Stiles was, and bit his lower lip in defeat knowing that nothing he could do would change this. Norman was intimidating, there was no doubt in his mind.

"Well, if you ever change your mind, Oscorp will be waiting with open arms to welcome you to the family. However, at least you and I can have another chat when you and your class comes to the lab on what, Monday?"

"Yeah, Monday."

"Then, I will see you there."

* * *

 **Stilinski Residence**

* * *

At home, Stiles simply thought to himself about how everything seemed to be going with his father since his mother had died. At first it was hard for the both of them, at the funeral Stiles was devastated, and Stilinski was there alongside of him, and just as Claudia had said, Stilinski did keep Stiles going, and it went both ways. Since then they had been all each other had, minus Scott and his mother, since there appeared to be hints of romance between Stilinski and Melissa, but he was uncertain about it as he had been wrong before. Some things were just meant to be kept to yourself.

As Stiles was in the kitchen getting food ready as he was also watching television, one of his favorite shows Castle came on, that show about the mystery writer Richard Castle that works with the NYPD homicide detectives. He loved cop shows, mainly because the police force was an interest with him aside from being a scientist when he got a little bit older, if his father didn't let him join the police force; it was a possibility that Stilinski wouldn't, so Stiles had to be ready.

Coming out of the basement was Stilinski carrying some of Claudia's old stuff, and Stiles looked at his father's legs to see he was barefoot with pants rolled up. His feet were soaking wet.

"Where's the flood at?"

"Follow me and I'll show you." said Stilinski motioning him to follow, and Stiles hopped down with shock on his face.

"Wait, seriously?"

* * *

"I think it may be the condenser tray." said Stilinski as the two examined the water that was on the floor. Stiles had his hand resting on his chin as he thought for a moment.

"No, there's too much water for the condenser tray or the heating exchange tubing. This has got to be fill in." Stilinski smiled, glad to see his son was actually going to be able to take care of his home at this rate.

"Well, that's the only thing that makes sense. Do you think you could fix it, I would but I have a lot of work to do."

"Yeah, not right now though, I'll probably do it tomorrow, I'll run by the hardware store on my way home."

"Sounds great, hey see if you can find anything that's worth saving." Stiles nodded as his father walked upstairs taking a box with him, leaving the teen down there, searching through the boxes upon boxes. It was only then that he found a box that had a briefcase that he hadn't seen in a very long time...

* * *

 _2001._

 _"John, I'm going to be working late tonight so make sure you and Stiles eat please? I hate when you guys don't eat because I'm not here. It's not like you can't cook."_

 _"He ruined lasagna..." groaned four year old Stiles looking at his father who had his head turned away from him. "Mom, please don't go to work."_

 _"I have to, and you know very well that there is food here to eat, and just so I know for sure you guys eat before I get home tonight, there's some pizza in the fridge from the pizza place we always go to. Stiles, can you hand me my briefcase?" asked Claudia, as Stiles nodded and grabbed the briefcase that was half of his height somehow. She took the briefcase, and Stiles could clearly see a symbol of a spider on it._

* * *

He stepped out of the basement, rubbing the decade old material of the briefcase in his hands. It was a dingy black leather material with a faded red spider symbol that Stiles had always been able to recognize. It was his mother's trademark when they had things of their own in the house. She would always have it on her things if she thought that she might have more than one of the same thing, so the spider symbol would be perfect for her to know which of the objects were her's.

Stiles laid the briefcase on the kitchen table next to his father, as he wiped the dust off of an old bowling trophy. "Dad, do you even bowl?"

"I did, when your mother was alive. We used to do it on our date nights, but that ended when she was diagnosed. She didn't want to have one of her episodes at the alley, so, that was the end of that." Stilinski sighed as he turned to see the briefcase. "Wow, it's been forever since I've seen that. How long has it been?"

"2001... I remember because that was the last night she used it. You still ruin lasagna."

"You remember that still?" asked Stilinski, and Stiles just glared at him. "Right, you have a certain thing about memories when it comes to your mother."

Stiles opened it to find three things of value that he could tell... a journal of some sort, a list of names that were involved with the X experiments which he had no idea as to what it was, and then a photo of Stilinski and Stiles.

"Anything in there?"

"Yeah... this." He held up the photo to see Stilinski go to tears... "What's wrong?" Stilinski wiped the tears away and smiled lightly.

"She always said having a photo of the two of us helped her out at work... kept her going strong. Apparently she thought we could benefit from her work." Stiles closed the briefcase and held it for a second then turning his attention to his father who was dressed for work once again.

"Going back to work?"

"Yeah, just got called, apparently there may be another bank robbery today." Stiles nodded. "Don't wait up."

"You know I will stay awake until you get home."

"Of course you will."

* * *

 _The four year old smiled as he handed his mother the briefcase, her gentle hand rubbing his hair back. "Be good, Mischief. Don't give your Dad a bunch of trouble."_

 _"I won't." he promised, and waved goodbye as Claudia turned, gave Stilinski a kiss goodbye, and left for work. Seeing his father sigh in disappointment, Stiles ran over to him and hopped on his lap, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Dad."_

 _"Love you too, kiddo. She'll be back soon, she always comes back home." Stilinski wrapped his arm around his son, knowing that their bond would never break, it would only get stronger._

* * *

It was nearly one in the morning when Stilinski got home, and Stiles was already ready for bed. Stiles was watching television when his father walked in, bags under his eyes, barely able to sit down before he was asleep.

"Long day?" asked Stiles, and Stilinski sighed. "Noted. I heard about the latest robbery... and Dad..."

"Don't even... I'm not telling you official police work. If you were a cop I would." Stiles pulled a fake police badge out. "Put it away Stiles... you're not an FBI agent, and definitely not a Female Body Investigator."

"That was Scott who said that! I didn't do that! Please, I swear on my life I won't tell anyone about it." Stilinski responded with a no... and Stiles knew that was the last word, so he dropped it.

"I forgot to ask, how was school today?"

"Boring, Harris decided to nag me out again because I had trouble focusing on the subject today, and for being late... and before you ask, no I was not stuffed in my locker. My locker jammed from the strap of my book bag. Thankfully that was before I got into that fight." The question that Stilinski was thinking about was true though... he had been stuffed in a locker by some annoying student...

"So, anything else happen other than that fight?"

"I have a field trip to Mom's work in a few days. Oscorp."

"Really?" asked Stilinski sitting up, suddenly wide awake much to Stiles's shock. Stiles couldn't help but wonder why Stilinski was so interested in Oscorp, possibly due to Norman's involvement with the business.

"Yeah. We're going to see the labs. Anyway, you want something to eat before you go to sleep?"

"How about a sandwich?" Stiles nodded before getting a deli sandwich for his father, and told him night before going to his room and shutting the door lightly before heading to bed so he would be able to at least rest for a bit. He laid down, laying his head on the pillow that he had slept on for eight years now, thinking about Norman's strange interest in the fact his mother had a lab in the house. Suddenly, for some reason Stiles had a feeling he needed to lock the lab up the best he could from now on.

* * *

 _ **Oscorp Laboratories.**_

* * *

Norman stared blankly at the paper in front of him showing the latest blood results he had taken by one of his scientists, Doctor Otto Octavius. The muscle deterioriation had increased by four percent, meaning that now nearly a quarter of his body's muscle had rotted away. After looking at an old test from nearly three weeks ago, the amount of the disease in his body had increased ten fold. The rate of which he was dying was speeding up, and that made Norman's body quiver in shaken nerves.

"Justin... could you fetch Dr. Octavius for me?" he asked, the sharpness that was usually present was absent, making Justin raise an eyebrow as he did not know that Norman was ill.

"Certainly, Mr. Osborn. I will go get him for you." Justin left the office and Norman reached for the phone, calling his wife.

"Margaret... it's me. I got the results back," he said lowly as Margaret Whittemore-Osborn answered the phone.

"How, how is it?"

"The disease's progression sped up. Twenty four percent of my body's muscle is rotted now. They're saying that at this rate, I won't make it to the end of the year." Back in 2003, Norman had been told he had about forty years left to live, but now... only nine years later, he had less than half a year to live.

"Norman, that's less than five months away."

"I know, but there might be a way to slow the disease down, I'm looking into it as we speak."

"Do the boys know this?"

"Knowing Jackson he probably is aware of the matter, but Harry... he's unaware that I'm even sick. I do love Harry, but I can't be around like I should." Norman froze as he saw Dr. Octavius got into the room and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "I'll call you back in a little bit, dear. I've got business to attend to."

"You wished to see me Mr. Osborn?" Octavius inquired with an emotionless face.

"How is the progress on the X-95?"

"The spider was injected with the serum Claudia Stilinski made to combat the Decay Rata Algorithum that Dr. Connors seems unable to crack, but at the moment we can't replicate the serum because of the complicated make of it."

"The problem is that it's for Cross Species Genetics... if the serum by itself was injected into a human, what might happen?"

"Since the Lycan Serum had the best results, I'd say it might restore any lost senses, and restore muscle mass... basically in layman's terms Mr. Osborn, it should be able to cure any disease."

" _Any_ disease you say?"

"Yes, any disease Mr. Osborn. I had a suspicion that you might be interested in having your blood tested with the serum injected into it to see if it can combat the disease..."

"Do it, immediately." Norman growled as he thought about his son. "If there's a way to save my son from this disease, then I will do whatever it takes."

* * *

 _ **There's the chapter for now, I am sorry I failed to get it up within twenty four hours, but I had some setbacks;**_

 _ **Today is a bittersweet moment for quite a few of us... tonight was the series finale of Teen Wolf. Six seasons later and it's over. It's hard to know that and be happy when I have to come know the protective Scott, snarky and cocky Jackson, Sourwolf Derek Hale, the beautiful and smart Lydia, sarcastic Stiles Stilinski and everyone else on the show, but this opens up new doors. We can take the show's legacy and honor it the best way we can, with fanart, fanfiction, anything else that will help the show be remembered. Yeah, fanfiction certainly gets a bad name because of some of the stuff it contains, but believe me, when it's well written and does the source justice, it can often make us feel better than we have ever felt about a show, movie, or even comic book. Yeah, Teen Wolf is over, but you know what, that leaves a legacy worth watching, writing, and drawing for.**_

 _ **That's why I write, and while at first I may not succeed in doing a source justice, by the end when I reach the endpoint, it's well worth it. Now, I have come to know some great people over this show, and I don't plan on stopping with Teen Wolf, and whatever might come next. All I know is that the show is over, but the story, it's never over. After all, there's an entire multiverse to explore concerning the Teen Wolf universe, just waiting for fanfic writers to do the show justice.**_

 _ **However that's all taken care of and honestly I am pleasantly surprised by how quickly you guys reviewed on the story. I actually want to take a moment and talk about some of them just to get your answers out of the way.**_

* * *

 _ **Red Spider: Yeah, honestly the whole Superman/Lex Luthor combination was what I thought of when I thought of Kaine Hale. I have some scenes already prepped between him and Stiles, and in my personal opinion he emanates the Derek Hale aura that our favorite Sourwolf always gave off during Season One.**_

 _ **TheFlashFanatic13: In regards to your question on if there's going to be Stydia at any point, I kind of want to point out that I have Stiles and Lydia not really know each other for a reason, and why I have the Stiles/Erica history involved. Believe me when I say that I adore Stydia to the ends of the Earth and back, I really do, but the whole thing is that in this, I want a true Teen Wolf build up for Stydia. So, even if in this book there is no Stydia, more than likely I will have them together later on, say a couple books in at the least. Honestly, I do not know how long I'll wait for Stydia, but I want to show the relationship grow from what you're seeing right now with them not really talking, and then perhaps as time goes on we'll see Stiles start to fall for her, and they form their friendship over the course of a couple years book time at least, and then perhaps we'll see Lydia start to fall for him as well when we get there, but I can't say for certain if I'm going to have Stydia. I mean, yeah, in terms of Spider-Man, Stiles and Lydia are the Peter and Mary Jane. I don't want to go down that road unless I am absolutely ready for it and by the time they get together it'll be a natural transition instead of like a rushed relationship like they did with Stiles and Malia in Season Three B of Teen Wolf. Not saying that I didn't like Stalia, but they could have done better with their story while it lasted. Best I can say is just stay tuned and who knows, maybe you'll see some.**_

 _ **Guest: I will try my best to describe them, but I am not the best when it comes to it.**_

 _ **Guest: I'm glad you pointed out some of the more iconic arcs, as a matter of fact I am doing my own version of the Night Gwen Stacy died arc, and personally I believe you guys will enjoy what I've got planned.**_

* * *

 _ **Anywho, now to the questions I have for you guys for this chapter.**_

 _ **1\. For next chapter, it will not be focused on Stiles nor the Osborns for the most part. Which character do you want focus on for the next update? Do you want it to be a Stilinski chapter where he focuses on that murder he came across and his relationship with his son? Do you want a chapter about Scott and his side of the story, because I am doing something interesting with him that I'll reveal right away for you guys if you want to see that. Or, do you guys want both? If you guys want both, I'll say this, if I see ten reviews altogether saying you would like to see both, then for the next update we'll see a Stilinski chapter, and a Scott chapter. I know this delays the story, but this will give you guys some great insight to what I've set up with this new version. (This is not something I'll do a lot, this is one of those few times. Honestly, after this I probably won't do something like this for a good long while.)**_

 _ **2\. In response to TheFlashFanatic13's review... I have this to ask you. Do you want Stydia as a sort of endgame like the show did, or would you like to see it as more of a multiverse kind of thing where we see it from a different timeline or different Earth. And if you guys do want it to be endgame, how long in the book do you think it would be good for the build up?**_

 _ **3\. If for the Teen Wolf part of the story, if I only follow the first three seasons for canon wise, would you guys be okay with that. The characters we've seen in Seasons 4-6 that you guys all like or even hate will show up, but the villains like the Dread Doctors, the Beast, and the Ghost Riders, those probably wont show up unless it absolutely fits into what I'm writing. Honestly, Teen Wolf story wise I will probably take it to Season 3b in terms of the plot wise. Otherwise, I'll be doing my own thing for the rest of the series. Would that be okay with you guys. I will still have Kira, Liam, Mason, Malia, and all of them involved it's just that I want something different that won't just be a minor difference based on the show. So, basically, would that be okay because I want to give that show the justice it deserves, and in order to do that, this story needs to forge its own path. One where we get to see the heroes that didn't get the spotlight like Scott did... where we can see the full story of the people we have come to know and love.**_

 _ **4\. And, last but certainly not least... For Stiles's pairing for this book, would you prefer it if he A: gets with Kitty Pride. B: gets with Gwen Stacy. C: gets back with Erica. or D: single for this book.**_

 _ **So, yeah, let me know what you guys think, and I will see you guys soon.**_

 _ **Possible next chapters based on reviews:**_

 _ **Honor thy Father (Stilinski)**_

 _ **Brothers (Scott)**_

 _ **Could be one of the two, or possibly both based on what I put up. If ten reviews say both, we'll have those two chapters up, but otherwise the majority rule will be the chapter posted. Until next time guys, I will see you later.**_


	8. Honor thy Father

_Chapter Seven: Honor thy Father_

* * *

 _Stiles laid the briefcase on the kitchen table next to his father, as he wiped the dust off of an old bowling trophy. "Dad, do you even bowl?"_

 _"I did, when your mother was alive. We used to do it on our date nights, but that ended when she was diagnosed. She didn't want to have one of her episodes at the alley, so, that was the end of that." Stilinski sighed as he turned to see the briefcase. "Wow, it's been forever since I've seen that. How long has it been?"_

 _"2001... I remember because that was the last night she used it. You still ruin lasagna."_

 _"You remember that still?" asked Stilinski, and Stiles just glared at him. "Right, you have a certain thing about memories when it comes to your mother."_

 _Stiles opened it to find three things of value that he could tell... a journal of some sort, a list of names that were involved with the X experiments which he had no idea as to what it was, and then a photo of Stilinski and Stiles._

 _"Anything in there?"_

 _"Yeah... this." He held up the photo to see Stilinski go to tears... "What's wrong?" Stilinski wiped the tears away and smiled lightly._

 _"She always said having a photo of the two of us helped her out at work... kept her going strong. Apparently she thought we could benefit from her work." Stiles closed the briefcase and held it for a second then turning his attention to his father who was dressed for work once again._

 _"Going back to work?"_

 _"Yeah, just got called, apparently there may be another bank robbery today." Stiles nodded. "Don't wait up."_

 _"You know I will stay awake until you get home."_

 _"Of course you will."_

* * *

Stilinski exited the house with a smile on his face for the first time in weeks, and he wasn't even sure why he was so happy because of the ungodly fact that the NYPD was overwhelmed with crime over the past few months. Whether it was the bank robbers, attacks on full moons, or this new serial killers that was killing female teenagers and then cutting their faces off, Stilinski just knew that the Police Department's resources were stretched thin.

He had seen the terror Manhattan had fallen into when the serial killer named Cletus Kasady was at large, having killed an astounding number of 39 men and women in a matter of a month. That wasn't even the totality of the people he had taken the life from. Stilinski had seen monsters like Kasady before, but to find out how much of a monster Kasady really was, Stilinski couldn't imagine the inner workings of that psycho's mind.

Kasady had pushed his grandmother down the steps and killed her when he was nine years old, and at the age of thirteen tortured his mother's puppy with a power drill. This was the start of that sociopath's blood trail, but yet he wasn't brought into custody until a few months after Stilinski had joined the force. As a matter of fact, it was Stilinski himself that had brought Kasady in when he stumbled upon Kasady torturing one of his victims, a thirteen year old kid by the name of Adrian Harris. Harris was critically injured, and was in ICU for a month before being able to be sent home.

Harris was a critical part to the trial as he was the only living survivor of Kasady's rampage. Again, this was about twelve years ago, and Stilinski still remembered it like it was merely yesterday. Stiles had just turned four years old when Cletus Kasady was arrested, and the weight that was lifted off of Stilinski's chest that day was unimaginable.

Stilinski had always had one goal in his mind when he put that uniform on and the gun on his side, and that was to make Manhattan a safer place for his son to live in. That was especially important to him after Claudia passed away, and he wasn't sure if he was being overprotective when he didn't want Stiles to join the police force like he had mentioned in the past, but Stilinski knew one thing, Stiles was going to enter a new world soon, and he would see the horrors that lied within it, waiting for its next prey.

So, when he drove to the precinct, he wasn't exactly all that surprised when he heard over the radio a call about a new murder victim found in an alley two blocks from the previous murder victim had been found.

Ever since the first faceless victim had appeared, the news had been calling this killer the Identity Thief, as a way to give them a nickname like all of the superheroes and supervillains nowadays had. He hated how these people with superhuman abilities were being glorified into these household names, appearing on commercials and even television shows. The one person he understood being on commercials and television shows was Captain America, but that guy was long dead considering he went missing during one of his missions during World War 2.

As he responded on the radio and drove to the crime scene, Stilinski couldn't help but think back to how Stiles was so excited by the thought of working with him on the police force. It brought a smile to his face, that he had to admit, but in all honesty his chest became tight at the thought of it, and often enough he thought he might end up passing out.

Stiles wasn't cut out to be a police officer, as much as Stilinski hated to say it. Sure, there were the whole thing with Stiles not being bothered by blood or dead bodies, but overall Stiles wasn't a violent person; now besides the occasional fight when Stiles was trying to get someone out of a jam and took the punishment for it, Stiles was the ideal kid to have. He never got in trouble, had straight A's, top of his class, and he didn't get a girl pregnant yet so there was that. All in all, Stiles was exactly the kid Stilinski had hoped for, sure he had his quirks, all kids did.

There were times where Stilinski was surprised by how much he rubbed off on his son by the actions Stiles took; he can remember one time when Stiles was ten, he risked his life to save someone from drowning. Stiles was a hero that day, and perhaps that was why Stiles wanted to be in the police force, because he genuinely liked helping people, whatever the reason was, Stilinski knew that if Stiles was going to, he was going to have to change just a bit to fit in with it.

After about twenty minutes of driving through traffic, Stilinski made it to the crime scene where the officers had already closed the area off with police tape. He put the cruiser into park and stepped out of the vehicle.

Walking under the tape, Stilinski could see Officers Diaz and Parrish already investigating. "Hell of a way to start our shift, huh?" Diaz asked, to which Stilinski nodded, his face cold and serious now.

"So, is this victim matching the description of the others?"

"Blonde, caucasian, about sixteen, maybe seventeen. Yeah, it definitely fits in our killer's M.O. So, how many does this make now in the past few weeks? Four, including the one from Tuesday?"

"That's right," Parrish replied as he studied the scene. "No blood trail or anything that might help us track down whoever did this. I swear it's like this guy just vanishes off of the face of the planet when he leaves the body here."

"Wait, so nobody that lives in the apartments nearby has seen a single thing that's out of place?"

"John, we're talking about Hell's Kitchen. We're lucky that the body was even called in. By the time we would have found out about this, the body could have been decomposed."

Stilinski froze in his spot as he caught a whiff of something coming from near the victim. "Diaz, do you smell that?" Officer Diaz sniffed the air, catching that same smell. "Is that bleach?"

"I think so."

"The killer made a mistake."

* * *

 _Six hours earlier._

 _He could have been so much more careful with this artwork. She was a pretty one, it was a shame he had to end their time together. With the week they spent together, he could have found out so much about her, and perhaps could have turned her towards his will. She would have been his, but alas she was not as resilient as he had hoped. Only one had been so resilient, however she was the fiesty one. He had been injured trying to get her put up somewhere she couldn't break out of._

 _The blood on his arm was still fresh as it ran down towards his wrist. The faceless girl hung over his shoulder as he lifted her out of the back of the car, her weight being remarkably low for someone of her age and physique._

 _"One day I'll find the one, and when I do, I will have her. She will be mine, and nobody will change that." he growled. "When we are together, we will be unstoppable... the cops won't catch us, no... they have no clue who I am, or why I'm doing this. As long as I don't lose focus, I won't have a problem." He hissed as he tossed her onto the ground. Her blue top was covered in her own blood, but that wasn't what caught his attention. As his arm went down, his blood spattered onto her pants. "No, no, no..."_

 _He raced to the back seat of the car, pulling out a bottle of bleach. "Drink up, my dear, I will not be caught today. Not now, not ever. Not like him." He hopped next to the victim's body, opened the bleach bottle, and began pouring. "Let your sins be washed away, and embrace the light of God."_ _ **There is no god here**_ _..."ugh, get out of my head."_

 _He dropped the bottle unexpectedly, as he grasped at his dark hair, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Get out of my head! You're not supposed to be here!"_ _ **I will never leave you... our time together is too precious.**_ _"You're not really here... you're just in my head, like always. This is what you want. I won't let you win!" The man pulled a knife out and stabbed himself in the leg, his screams blocked out by the traffic on the street. The voice was gone, and the man pulled out two bandage wraps. He wrapped the one bandage around his arm where the fiesty girl had cut him with her claw like fingernails, and then in the area where he stabbed himself. "Pain is weakness leaving the body. Pain is the only way to become pure. I will get you out of my head one day, and when I do... not even you will be able to stop me."_

* * *

"Get a light over here!" Stilinski called as one of the officers onsight, unaware of the man in the black leather jacket standing overhead. The man growled as his eyes glowed that icy blue, and his teeth grinded against each other.

"Where are you?" he growled, kneeling down as his eyesight changed to infrared. He could see what the officers could not. There was a faint trail of blood leading to tire tracks, but otherwise there would be no trail. If he could get down there without being seen, he could get a scent and follow it that way, but by the time the officers got done there and cleared out, the scent would be long gone. "I'll find you, and when I do, I'm going to make you pay." _The only way I'll be able to get this Officer Stilinski on my side is if I get some leverage. If he's connected to Dr. Gajos like I think he is, then that means he has a son, most likely about sixteen. Wait, that scent, it's so familiar._

His eyes turned towards the street where a black Camaro was parked off in an adjacent alleyway, a bald man sitting there watching one of the officers. _Shaw... Osborn's personal assassin. Why is he watching the officers? Unless, Officer Stilinski... Dr. Gajos must have hidden her research. She's smarter than anyone gives her credit for. I need to get Shaw off of Stilinski's back, and watch from afar. Officer Stilinski's son will be the one to find out where Claudia's research is, and if I'm correct, he can help me find her, and anyone else that he's taken._

 _Shaw, you're mine._

* * *

The crime scene gave only one clue, and that was the DNA found on the alley, but as it would turn out, the bleach had contaminated it. Once again, there was nothing to be found. Four girls, and not a single thing to help figure out the killer's identity. Stilinski growled as he parked into the driveway that night. It was one in the morning now, and he could still see the lights on inside the house.

Stiles was always up when Stilinski got home, no matter what the time was. It was Stiles's way of keeping an eye on him, helping him out with his late night dinner and other things. It was also one of the few times they got to talk about their day, not that Stilinski revealed any of his police work to Stiles, much to the teen's dismay. Stiles was always eager to help, and while Stilinski knew Stiles could be more help than most people would be, he wasn't able to do that.

Stiles was watching television when his father walked in, bags under his eyes, barely able to sit down before he was asleep. Stiles was in flannel pajama bottoms with a tan t shirt, and he was wearing his glasses that he normally never wore.

Stiles could see clearly without glasses, it was just that he had an astigmatism in his right eye that could make his head hurt from not wearing glasses when he read. Often enough, Stiles just worked through his pain.

"Hey Dad... I take it was a long day?" asked Stiles, and Stilinski sighed. "Noted. I heard about the latest robbery... and Dad..."

"Don't even... I'm not telling you official police work. If you were a cop I would." Stiles pulled a fake police badge out. "Put it away Stiles... you're not an FBI agent, and definitely not a Female Body Investigator."

"That was Scott who said that! I didn't do that! Please, I swear on my life I won't tell anyone about it." Stilinski responded with a no... and Stiles knew that was the last word, so he dropped it. How Stilinski wished he could talk to Stiles about this to get insight, but he just wasn't able to.

"So, um... I forgot to ask, how was school today?"

"Boring, Harris decided to nag me out again because I had trouble focusing on the subject today, and for being late... and before you ask, no I was not stuffed in my locker. My locker jammed from the strap of my book bag. Thankfully that was before I got into that fight." The question that Stilinski was thinking about was true though... he had been stuffed in a locker by some annoying student...

"So, anything else happen other than that fight?"

"I have a field trip to Mom's work in a few days. Oscorp."

"Really?" Stilinski asked, his voice was shaking, and he could see his son's eyes grow wide.

"Yeah. We're going to see the labs. Anyway, you want something to eat before you go to sleep?"

"How about a sandwich?" Stiles offered, and Stilinski nodded with a smile. "Hey Dad, I was wondering, considering I am not allowed to go to school tomorrow because of my injury today, do you want to do something in the morning? Like, I don't know... bowling maybe?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... you want to bowl with me?" Stilinski was shocked by this, as Stiles never seemed too interested in any of his father's hobbies. "Are you sure that kid didn't give you a concussion?"

"Dad, I'm serious. You were talking about how you and Mom went bowling for date night, and honestly... it's a good way for the two of us to spend some time together. Let's face it, with school, and you working all those crazy hours, we could use some quality time together. The jeep's going to be out of commission for a few days anyway until I get it fixed, so I figure that tomorrow could be a day for us."

"Aren't you supposed to help Harry study tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but he's not coming until about four. We have all day to hang out. If you don't want to, it's okay, I just..."

"No, Stiles... I think it's a great idea. It sounds like fun." Stiles smiled as he got the sandwich for his father and brought it to him. "A day just for the two of us. That means no Scott joining in, just you and I... do I make myself clear?"

"Dad, I said you and I. If I was going to involve Scott, I would have just said it right off the bat."

"I don't know son, you tend to leave stuff like that out sometimes." Stiles laughed lightly before hugging his father. "Goodnight Stiles, I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

Stilinski shut the television off and went upstairs towards his room, stopping by his son's doorway to see the teenager asleep using the same pillow that he had been using ever since the night Claudia died. It had sentimental value, and now Stiles could not sleep without that pillow.

He walked in, pulling the blanket over Stiles, and smiled lightly. "I miss her too, buddy." Stilinski turned the light off, and went to his bed where he laid down, imagining Claudia was right there beside him, and within a matter of a couple minutes he was out cold.

* * *

 **There's the chapter, and I want to say that I am honestly going to do a couple more chapters before I give Stiles the bite, but some developments that we got. We are officially in our first arc that Stiles will be undertaking in the story, called the Identity Thief.**

 **So, for book one at least, I have two arcs for the moment. It is the: Identity Thief arc, the Omega arc. Both of which kind of cross paths because one of the characters will be involved for both. Uh, wow... I am kind of drawing a blank, that's a first. What was I going to say?**

 **Oh, right.. so as of the reviews for last chapter, the reviews were low, probably because it's one of those Sunday going into Monday kind of deals. I got this chapter done kind of fast, and honestly I thought it was going to be longer, but you know, you end when you feel its at a good stopping point.**

 **Also, we had our first scene of the actual serial killer known as the Identity Thief. This is not an OC character, I am letting you know this right away. It is a character based in either Teen Wolf or Marvel. Now, clues to his identity will be given throughout the story, and personally, I want to see if you guys can figure it out. Now, I will tell you as soon as Stiles gets his powers, that is when the clues are going to start rolling in because that arc is heavily oriented around Stiles when he is still in the early early stages of his powers, so say a week or two into using his powers. This is also before the heartbreaking moment where we see the Spider-Man first appearance scene.**

 **So, pretty much what I am** **saying is that don't expect us to get right into the Spider-Man stuff. I am fleshing this out to the point where we will have a proper story. Think of everything up until Stiles goes to that bank and saves the day as the Pre-Spidey story. This segment is the Smallville story, the Clark Kent before the Superman era. This is my version for Spider-Man.**

 **With that said, I have some questions, and I really hope you guys can give me some feedback as to know where I should go for the next couple of chapters.**

* * *

 **1\. Are you guys interested in the Identity Thief storyline at all? Or is it just not getting you at all? If you guys are, just from the get go, think of everything that has been stated in the book so far. One character we know already is being affected by these murders, and let's just say Stiles knows this person. Who is it, and why do you say that?**

 **2\. For the next couple chapters up until the spider bite, I am not going to focus heavily on Stiles, as I want the other characters to shine. Is there a particular character you want to be focused on, give insight to their side of the Teen Wolf/Spider-Man verse I'm making? Like, per say one character say Jackson, if you want that character, just say their name and basically give a list of your top three. If I see one that I feel would be important to the story as it goes on, that will definitely be written. Different character chapters will probably be the basis of three of the upcoming chapters at least. I think two focus heavily on Stiles and his story with his mother and that good stuff. Give me your top three characters you would like to see have focus on, and I'll see which ones will be good for the story.**

 **3\. Do you guys want Stiles to be a certain kind of fighter? Like the regular Spidey, or more brutal in nature, like say the darker version of Batman in the Batman: The Telltale Series where he literally will take enemies out in certain ways that will terrify others into submission? I mean, I prefer regular but I mean like when Stiles is first starting out on his hunt for vengeance.**

 **Let me know, and I will see you guys soon.**

 **Next chapters are:**

 _ **Chapter Eight: ? (Review answers for question 2. Your guys's pick for character)**_

 _ **Chapter Nine: A Child of Science (Stiles)**_


	9. The Heir of Oscorp

_Chapter Eight: The Heir of Oscorp_

* * *

 **Osborn Manor**

* * *

The Heir of Oscorp... that had a ring to it that brought a smile to Jackson Whittemore's face as he woke up next to his beautiful girlfriend Lydia Martin. Even in her sleep she was absolutely gorgeous, he had to admit it. Jackson sat up, his shirt having been torn off during some of their, fun last night. He shook his head lightly as he stood up, the loose sweats barely hanging on his hips as he searched for his missing clothing.

Jackson searched his room for a minute, finding that his shirt was nowhere in here. He pulled the cover over Lydia, the strawberry blonde beauty snuggling deeper into her pillow as he moved the hair out of her eyes. After putting on a fresh black shirt that clung him like a glove, Jackson stepped out into the hallway slowly wandering down it aimlessly. He didn't care about the shirt, if anything the housemaids would find it while cleaning more than likely.

That was something Jackson had never expected to have in his entire life, housemaids. They would literally clean up any mess he made, but considering how nice some of them were, he was often more caring about where his clothing and trash were. When his mother, Margaret had gotten together with Norman, Jackson thought he was dreaming.

Jackson was adopted by nature, his parents having died before he was born. He was only alive and well because they performed an emergency c-section on his birth mother in order to save him. He didn't know he was adopted until he was about six years old, and he only felt hatred towards his adopted parents. Truth was, he did not hate them in the slightest, it was just that he felt betrayed and worse, lied to. Jackson could lie all he wanted to about god knows what, whether it be big or small and feel fine, but if someone had kept a secret like that from him, his emotions would run wild.

Yeah, Jackson had money before Margaret got with Norman, but when the two finally tied the knot, Jackson could only see money signs in his eyes. He wanted to be the big man on campus, with flashy cars, captain of a sports team, the most popular and beautiful girl in school as his girlfriend. The last one was more of a personal thing that he had wanted, not because of popularity, but because of who she was.

Lydia Martin had always been in his sights, whether he had known it or not. When he first started to think about girls, Lydia was the first one he thought about. He had no clue when he started to like her, but he knew that right at the end of the sixth grade, he managed to ask her out. Now granted, dating back in the sixth, seventh grade wasn't that big of a deal, but for Jackson it was a step up from his own personal pit that he felt he was trapped in. He was always afraid of losing people and being alone, so imagine what he felt when his adopted father was killed in a mugging when he was twelve.

Jackson may not have cared too much about his adopted father, but that was still the only "Dad" he had. To him, he had lost a part of himself when his father died. That was one of the reasons why he indulged himself in these flashy cars, sharp clothing, hard physically demanding sports that made his mind go elsewhere. It made him feel safe from being alone, because as long as people kept looking at him, he felt like he wasn't going to be on his own.

Lydia always made herself known to him, always being there when he least expected it. She was the ideal girlfriend, but he could tell Lydia was putting up her own personal shield from the outside world. Nobody knew this, but he could see through her cracks pretty easily.

How when she thought she was alone she would cry about things that she had seen or heard, or how she was treated. Lydia wasn't a mean person, and she was only hostile because she didn't want anyone to think she was weak. Well, when you're alone in a bathroom, crying your eyes out, nobody could think you were weak.

She was smart, exceptionally smart, Jackson knew that for certain. He had always seen her grades, how they were straight A's, in fact they were all A+'s. Her intellect was one of the highest in the school's student population, and that was why Jackson was giving her an early birthday present. He had asked Norman if he'd be willing to let Lydia intern at Oscorp as an assistant, or anything she might have been able to do. Norman had told him that he would need to talk to Lydia before that happened, that way she was on board with the idea as well.

Jackson walked downstairs towards the study Norman frequented, believing that his step-father would be awake at this hour; he usually was awake that is. Norman had a tendency to stay up after midnight trying to work out some of his business affairs when everyone was asleep; Jackson had entered the study before when Norman was busy, and he had gotten to actually get Norman to talk to him. Norman was usually so busy that he wouldn't even answer a single question anyone had for him unless it was already a part of the conversation, yet the funny thing was that while Norman was in his study at night, even when he was working, he would answer any question Jackson had.

He looked into the study, the large room filled with eccentric artifacts Norman had gathered over the years on his travels and lucrativbe business deals, notably some being from his affairs with Wilson Fisk, such as the large bear head that Fisk had given him about eight years ago following a groundbreaking transaction that propelled the Cross Species program years ahead of what it was supposed to be. Fisk had reason to believe that if Cross Species Genetics could work in ways to make a person's body protect itself, it could be used with police officers for more offensive manners. If Cross Species Genetics could protect and preserve the body, why can't it fight for it as a weapon of sorts?

Jackson thought the idea to be wild, but in retrospect, he knew there was one subject in the Cross Species program that was rumored to be able to protect itself, and attack using its different DNA traits. That was supposedly the spider Claudia Stilinski had a large part in creating, the X-95. He didn't think too much about it as he scratched his head.

"Norman? You in here?" Jackson asked with a quiver in his voice, almost hesistant to speak outward. He could hear the faint sound of a cough as Norman raised his head from his desk, his eyes showing how weak he was.

"Jackson? What are you doing up at this hour? Actually, what time is it?" Norman asked, almost like he was unsure of why he was even in here in the first place, but Jackson summed it up to him having fallen asleep during his work.

"It's about two in the morning. I couldn't sleep, I was wondering if you had made any decision on the idea I gave you a while back? You know, the one about Lydia being an intern at Oscorp? You did say you would have to talk to her before you could make a decision, and you've definitely talked to her since then, so... are you going to consider it?"

"Oh, that _idea_ huh? Let me tell you something Jackson, and please don't tell anyone. I am more focused on trying to figure out who my successor will be if the unthinkable happens to me. Now, I am naturally considering Harry for the job, as he is my son, but I am also considering you."

"You, you're considering me to be your successor? As in being the CEO of Oscorp, that kind of successor?"

"Yes, Jackson, that kind. I know you and I have never exactly been on the same page with each other, and the same goes with you and your step-brother, but please, I have to implore that you try to work with him better; I don't understand why the two of you are at each other's throats constantly, but whatever the source of this issue is, it needs to be dealt with."

"I can't make Harry like me Norman, and he can't make me like him either."

"I'm not done, kid," Norman growled, his eyes showing his anger that he reserved for workers, but rarely for his family.

"Sorry," Jackson felt his body chill at the sound of Norman's harsh tone, and it was one of the few times that if anyone had seen this that they could have claimed they saw Jackson legitimately scared.

"There is a reason I need you two to work together, because in the case I cannot decide between the two of you, I will have you both work together as co-owners. I trust that won't be a problem?"

"No, that... that shouldn't be a problem at all. That would be smart, that way, that way we can both effectively keep the company in proper shape." Jackson stumbled trying to find his words, which Norman raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

"Good, now... something seems to be bothering you, what is it? You normally don't act like one of my workers, but right now you seem dreadfully scared of me, why is that?"

"I just don't want to disappoint you, that's all," Jackson said with the fakest smile known to man, and Norman hid the smile that threatened to creep onto his face because he didn't want to frighten the teenager any more than what he already was.

"Oh, that's alright, you won't disappoint me. There's no way that you could, after all... what have you done to do that?"

"Nothing, nothing. I haven't done anything to disappoint you, it's just, uh nevermind. I was just worried that you might have been upset about that fight between my friend and Harry."

"That's what you were worried about, me being disappointed that you can't control one of your friends in your group that ended up attacking your step-brother?"

"To be fair, Flash didn't attack Harry, it was Harry's friend that started the fight."

"From what I hear Stiles was only trying to ensure Flash stopped bullying a student, and Flash decided to use him as a punching bag. Or, was I mislead with that information?"

"No! You weren't, I guess Flash must have lied to me about what really happened. If you want me to deal with Flash and make sure it doesn't happen again, I will deal with it at school."

"Please do. I don't like having my work interrupted because of a little quarrel between your friends and Harry's. Now, I must be going to bed, your mother must be getting worried about me. She doesn't like it when I'm constantly in here during the night. I will see you in the morning." Norman stood up, pushing his chair into his desk and walked past Jackson, putting his hand on the teenager's shoulder. "And, as for your _idea_ about Ms. Martin, I will consider it. I will let you know in the next few days as to what my decision is. Goodnight."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it."

"Don't thank me yet Jackson, she's not an intern yet." Jackson watched Norman leave the study, and after a couple seconds of waiting, Jackson smiled lightly as a trail of sweat ran down the side of his face.

The Heir of Oscorp, yeah... that had a nice ring to it, Jackson decided as he felt his heartbeat slow, and took in a deep breath. However, being the son of Norman Osborn, that was one of the most terrifying titles Jackson had ever gotten.

If Jackson had looked at the computer, he would have seen Norman had a file of Claudia Stilinski's blood sample opened, and how it was remarkably similar to something called... Subject Zero.

* * *

 **Hey guys, sorry for the wait I know it's been over a month and five days, but I have been busy, and while I know this is not exactly a long chapter, it was one I felt could flesh the book out a bit more. I read the reviews from last chapter and decided to go with this chapter being about Jackson because his relationship with Norman I felt would be perfect to explore, but it also opens gateways for later chapters, as the end of the chapter has something to do with a big arc for the book.**

 **So, not many questions today, but I would like some responses if at all possible, if you guys don't mind?**

 **1\. Do you guys like these chapters that are about the side characters, and please be honest. I want to know if that'd be something you guys would be more open to in the future as I like to do these chapters, but if you guys feel it doesn't do much for the story, then I will stop them. I figured it would help develop characters and give much needed time for the less shown characters that they deserve.**

 **2\. Okay, so pretty much for this question, it's not really a question, but at the same time it is. I have a plan, but I'm not sure on it. You see, here's the plan I was thinking of. As I have said, this book is more about the origin of Spider-Man, and personally yes the first ten chapters aren't really main story focused, as it's the warm up for it. As I plan to have Stiles get the bite around chapter fifteen-ish. Somewhere close to there, but for the big hope for all of you guys, when he gets the iconic Spidey suit, that's a bit down the line, like big time down the line. Because, here's my idea. Stiles would get his powers, and start learning secrets about not only his mother, but other people he thought he knew. This means while Stiles is learning how to use his abilities, Stiles is also becoming the detective that Spider-Man naturally is. He's going to reach that point in good time, but you guys want to learn a lot, and see where all the story arcs are going to branch off. So, basically, it's not a question, but rather a statement, however I would like you guys to leave me your opinion on it because you know, I want to know. Is that okay, or would you like to just get into the action?**

 **3\. For one of the upcoming chapters, in sort of connection to my first question, what underappreciated Teen Wolf character from season one or just in general would you like to see highlight a chapter? Let me know in the reviews, and as always, the majority or most interesting will be chosen.**

 **I'll have the next chapter up soon, and speaking of which, I got some info for the next three chapters:**

 **Chapter Nine: A Child of Science (Stiles)**

 **Chapter Ten: Brothers (Scott)**

 **Chapter Eleven: The Field Trip (Stiles)**

 **I'll let you guys know what goes on, and I will see you guys really soon, and not in a month either, like within the week hopefully if everything goes rightl.**


	10. A Child of Science and Justice

_Chapter Nine: A Child of Science and Justice  
_

* * *

 _"I still can't believe you beat me at bowling, Stiles. Are you sure you've never bowled before?" Stilinski chuckled as he parked the cruiser at the nearby Burger King... Stiles was in the passenger seat taking a bite of his curly fries with a big smile on his face._

 _"Never," Stiles muttered through his curly fry filled mouth, the one hanging down to his chin. "Not once have I ever bowled."_

 _"Ugh, it's sickening when you talk with your mouth full." Stiles lowered his head as he finished what he had in his mouth before smiling lightly. "Seriously, you must have gotten that from your mother and I."_

 _"A bowling prodigy... haha." Stiles rubbed the back of his head as he eyed the radio, almost like he was contemplating on what to do next. "So, I heard you on the phone last night. There was another murder, wasn't there?"_

 _"I told you I don't like it when you listen in to my conversations."_

 _"Dad, I'm going to hear them eventually, and as much as you want to shelter me, you need to at least treat me like I'm not a child anymore. I'm sixteen, I have a driver's license for god's sake, and you still treat me like I'm eight."_

 _"I don't tell you what happens at work because it's confidential, and I could get in a lot of trouble for telling you Stiles. It's not like I'm purposely trying to make you feel like a kid, but you still are a kid Stiles, whether you like it or not. It's not something you can change. If you were a police officer, then it would be different, but you're not so I can't tell you."_

 _"Fine, you don't have to tell me anything, I heard everything I need to know. If you really want to catch the guy, then you need to stop thinking like a cop and start thinking like a killer. And, if I were a killer, I'd be right in the middle of the investigation without anyone knowing, because you said it yourself, the areas the body were found, it's within walking distance of each other. The killer probably lives nearby, or has a hideout of some kind where he can see everything go down with the police. So, he's probably right in the background whenever you've been at a crime scene. It's what I would do."_

 _"You're trying to tell me one of the people that have been around the crime scene behind the barriers looking in, is the Identity Thief?"_

 _"I'm not saying anything, it's just what I would do. Although, based on what you were talking about, the bleach at the scene, a spot away from the body... they did it intentionally."_

 _"Intentionally?"_

 _"Think about it, some killers feel remorse after disposing of a body, and make themselves pay, perhaps by hurting themselves. Although, it could also be that the killer was trying to block something out."_

 _"Blocking something out?"_

 _"Yeah, like somebody's voice. Remember when I was first trying out for Lacrosse, and you were there in the stands and I got injured. I was hit hard enough to where the pain blocked out all the noise for that moment. What if they were trying to block some kind of noise out?"_

 _"Huh, you might be onto something there, but we still don't have any evidence to go on."_

 _"Well, you're a good cop Dad, I'm sure there'll be a break in no time. It's probably right under your nose but you don't realize it." Stiles assured him, turning away from his father and looking outside. "After all, the killer's likely going to strike again, and each time it seems like they're slipping up. One more slip up and you'll have them."_

 _"Yeah, maybe." Stilinski replied before he suddenly heard the door shut to find Stiles was gone. "Stiles?" He choked on what little food he had left in his mouth before opening his door. "Stiles?"_

 _The sound of that blood curdling scream was what gained Stilinski's attention as he stepped out of the police cruiser. It wasn't that of a woman, but it was more masculine, but yet feminine. His chest tightened up as he heard the scream, and within a matter of seconds Stilinski was running towards the nearest alley. He stumbled next to the building, catching himself with his hand. He turned around that corner with a quickness that only years of experience could ever lead up to, and he nearly turned a ghastly white color._

 _There, in the center of the alley, with a knife in his chest, his eyes meeting Stilinski's, was Stiles. "Oh god! Stiles!" By the time he reached Stiles, the teenager was gone, a tear running down his face as the reminder of the last moment of his life. The knife was planted firmly in Stiles's chest, but it was holding something against the teenager as well. It was a piece of paper reading: "You were born to suffer."_

* * *

Stilinski woke up in a cold sweat gasping for air. It took all of his willpower to not scream at the top of his lungs for his son, but somehow he managed to. He looked around the room before getting up and checking Stiles's room. He found the teenager was still asleep, and smiled. It was a nightmare, Stiles was still here, alive and well.

He left the door open as he walked downstairs and sat in the chair, drinking a cup of coffee seeing as it was already five in the morning and he had to be up to make breakfast in a little bit for his day with Stiles to begin on a good note.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight today, kiddo."

* * *

Stiles woke up with this strange energy that he couldn't explain, something itching at the back of his mind, screaming at him to read the journal of his mother's that was in the briefcase he had taken up from the basement yesterday. The sun wasn't even up yet, and Stiles knew that this curiosity was going to get the better of him, so he opened the journal up to the first page that had notes, which was three fourths of the way through the journal.

 _Stiles was born three years ago. It's amazing to see how much he's grown. At first we thought there was something wrong with him when he got sick way too often for doctor's likings... and we had him have some testing, and we discovered that his immune system was not how it was supposed to be, apparently... it was underdeveloped. But, he's starting to get over it. It's starting to get back to normal. But my work is going to help even more if I can just finish it._

That was what got him interested in his mother's work... What had Claudia Stilinski been working on? Stiles went to his computer and typed in the google search bar... Claudia Stilinski.

Search results came up with something called Cross Species Genetics. Stiles scratched his head lightly before clicking on the link and found that his mother's work was actually trying to help the human body restore itself.

An amputee could regrow the limb they lost, a person with dementia could heal themselves. The possibilities were endless. His mom... was trying to save lives by doing that work. Now, from what had been said was that there was an illness affecting Norman Osborn and that was one of the more important reasons to get it done apparently. Osborn's illness was slowly killing him, but was not contagious, only genetic. Stiles scratched his head at this before looking through the journal to find something about Norman Osborn.

"Well, look at what we got here." Stiles found a page that was talking about Norman's state of illness.

 _My supervisor is forcing us to work harder to complete our research and find a cure for Norman's illness. Now, Norman has quite a few years left before it becomes critical... I'd say since the year is currently 2003 right now, about forty years, depending on how the disease continues to spread through his body. It will continue to get worse... the Cross Species project will help him, and millions. No more illnesses... it could be the end of all non man made diseases._

 _If we continue our latest branch of research, arachnids... mainly spiders, who knows what we may get... we have three main focuses... spiders, lizards, and wolves. Their DNA holds the most potential. Wolves are something I don't understand though, but whatever it is that's special about it, it makes the guys in the lab call it the Lycan Project. We are testing it right now, using the first human test subject for it... and results look promising. Subject's name is (_ _ **the name is scribbled out with permanent marker, making it impossible to figure out what it says underneath.)**_ _. The subject was blinded after an accident, and was hard of hearing after damage to the eardrum occurred from an explosion, now... the subject can see perfectly, hear things more clearly then ever, even things people can whisper from across the room... however, there are some concerns..._

The entry was cut off suddenly, and after that there wasn't anything left in the journal, having been the end of it. Stiles had known how small this journal was considering it was full of drawings his mother had done long before she had worked at Oscorp. The drawings were beautiful, and often enough realistic to where Stiles couldn't tell if it was a photo or a drawing. When he was thoroughly finished with the journal, Stiles shut it and walked downstairs to meet his father and enjoy the one day they could spend together.

"Wow, you actually made breakfast?" Stiles laughed with surprise as he hopped into the kitchen seeing his father finishing up with the food. "Wait," his body tightened up suddenly as a thought crossed his mind. "Does this mean you can't hang out?"

"Why would this mean that?"

"Usually the only time you make breakfast is when you're trying to make up for something is all I'm saying."

"Stiles, believe me son, I wouldn't miss a father and son day for the world. I already have the day planned out, first we can go bowling, the place your mother and I went to, it has a great food court that you will just fall in love with." Stilinski was beaming as he laid out the plans for today, and Stiles couldn't help but smile too. It was good to see Stilinski like this, as it was rare to see him smile like this. It was almost like his mother was still there, and before the dementia, it was the happiest time of his life; it was probably the simplest time of his life as well.

This was before Stilinski had to work constantly just to pay the bills, somehow manage Stiles going to school, pay the bills, maintain the house, and all the other _fun_ stuff that it entailed. Stilinski still smiled, it just wasn't like that anymore. Back then it was a simpler time, before the sudden appearance of super powered beings all over the place, and now New York City whether intentional or not, it was a circus.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Good, and hey... let's just avoid parking near any alleys, okay?"

"Dad, it's New York, there's alleys everywhere."

"I don't want us being in twenty feet of one is all I'm saying, and we're avoiding Hell's Kitchen too. I take it you know why I want to avoid that place at all costs," Stilinski implied, eying his son with a sly grin that showed both disappointment and pride.

"Yeah, the murders. I've-"

"-heard me talking on the phone with Diaz? Yeah, I had a feeling you did. By the way, try to not listen all the time okay?"

"Dad, I can help, just let me."

"Funny enough, you already did, in a dream I had last night. It was something worth looking at." Stilinski laughed, trying to not have the image of a dead Stiles in his mind any more than what he could. He looked at Stiles who was standing in the doorway, adjusting his glasses, and for whatever reason, something in the back of Stilinski's mind told him to break the one rule he had, keep Stiles away from work. Stiles was very intuitive and could find something that many others wouldn't be able to see from any angle, yet Stiles could. If Stiles could help save lives and bring this Identity Thief to justice, then Stilinski knew that whatever the price was for Stiles helping was worth it. "You know, maybe I could _leave my work on my desk before I go to work,_ and you _**could**_ _walk into the study and find it laying on the desk, with it open... but you_ _ **should**_ _not look at it._ "

"Alright, yeah... gotcha." Stiles replied with a wink, seeing his father finally loosen up the grip with the case. Stiles was nearly jumping out of his skin with excitement at the thought of being able to view the case, and Stilinski could see it on his face. "So, you don't think that I could look at it while I eat right?"

"Stiles, no work, just you and me for right now, okay?"

"Okay." Stiles was defeated, for now... however Stilinski knew that Stiles was going to look at that case the first chance he had. "Dad, do you know what Mom was working on at Oscorp?"

"Something about animals, I never really asked, why?"

"In that briefcase she had I found a journal, and it talked about her working on something called Cross Species Genetics. It was something that could have saved millions of lives."

"Your mother was ambitious, Stiles. I've told you that she wanted to do a lot of things before she was diagnosed, but she was also very secretive, she liked to hide things. She could hide something in plain sight and nobody would notice. I won't lie, you're the only one that was able to see where she hid anything, because you have her brains."

"Well I have your morals."

"That too," Stilinski flipped the last couple of pancakes and motioned Stiles to get the plates. Stiles did so and set the table, glad that he was going to get to enjoy the day with his dad for the first time in years.

* * *

Harry loved Stiles's lab, it was one of his favorite places to be. The lab was spectacular, for a teenager Stiles had a lab set up like he was in Oscorp or something similar to that. Stiles was sitting at the computer typing some things up researching, but Harry was looking at all the chemicals and machines he had set up in here.

"I never get over all the doo-dads you got. My father doesn't even have this much crap laying around."

"It's not crap Harry... plus, yeah... most of it, y'know, I got from my mother."

"Inherited it?"

"Yeah." Stiles replied as he got up and walked over to the chalkboard that was scribbled with equations that Harry couldn't even get around.

"What is this anyway, it seems a bit complex."

"That's because it is. It's something my Mom had been working on before she passed away. This was for an interesting molecular adhesive. I just can't get my head around some of the more complex components, it's probably really simple and I'm just over thinking it."

"Don't you take breaks?"

"Yeah, but you don't know what it's like not having much to do after school and not hanging out with your friends all the time," Stiles muttered lightly as he examined the board.

"I still don't understand what this is though."

"I could go over a twelve hour lecture over this... or you could just accept it and act like you know what's going on."

"Cool, let's do that one. Can I ask something, how did your Mom buy it?"

"She died from a rare type of dementia." Then it sort of came to Stiles as he looked at the board and suddenly jumped over to the chair. "My mom got really paranoid when the symptoms got worse, so she would have put any research she was doing in the areas that were hard for even geniuses to find. Maybe if I..."

"Uh, Stiles?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Harry... I can do this later. What chapters were we going over in Biology?" Harry was eyeing Stiles suspiciously, as if Stiles was more focused on something else, and he suddenly got an idea.

"Chapter 12 and 13. Did you ever show Lydia this? The lab, and the board? You said she's the smartest in your class, maybe if she shows up with a clear mind, she can help you out."

"She's too busy to hang out with a nerd like me, plus what makes you think she'd be willing to help me?"

"It's Lydia, the girl who lived next to you for how many years? I get she moved, yeah, but she's still the one that cared about you to some degree. I don't know why she'd say no to helping you, just ask her for some help with this, and maybe you guys can build a friendship like that."

"Maybe."

"If you can't finish it with her help, maybe you can take a look at the Oscorp tech they have now, they have a special microfiber that could help out."

"That sounds like a plan, but let's just see if I can figure this out by myself for right now, if I don't in the next week or two I'll ask her, deal?" Stiles asked, and Harry nodded, even though he knew Stiles was just saying it so he didn't have to keep listening to Harry talk about Lydia and working to get them in the same room as some sort of love guru.

"Deal. On one condition... you learn how to avoid Jackson and his friends at school."

"Avoid them? Like that's possible."

* * *

 _A few months ago:_

 _"Ooof!" Stiles grunted as he fell forward, a foot having hit square in his back, and books were sent flying everywhere. It was the one day that he actually wore his glasses to school, and surprise, surprise... they went crashing onto the ground as well. Of everyone in the hallway, none of the students were doing a thing except for laughing their butts off._

 _Stiles hit the ground with a thud, and all he could hear in that singular moment was laughter. "GOOOAAL!" was the only voice Stiles heard over the laughter, and he knew that voice anywhere. Kenny "Kong" McFarlane was the one screaming as he stood behind Flash Thompson in triumph over their game; their game being torturing Stiles for laughs._

 _"That, is_ _ **definitely**_ _worth ten points."_

 _"Ten? That was a six, tops!" Kong retorted as Stiles turned his head, snarling with disgust as he picked his glasses up. "Oh look Flash..."_

 _"Right, I think Stilinski's about to go full on 'Carrie' on us Kong! So scary!" Flash laughed as he stepped towards Stiles and went to grab him, but Harry put his hand in the way._

 _"Guys, come on. Leave the guy alone for two seconds." Harry pleaded as Flash looked almost offended by Harry's disapproval._

 _"What? Are you sweet on him, Harry?" Flash asked, as Stiles grabbed his books and got up._

 _"No, I'm sweet on you. He's my best friend you idiots! Can't you just leave him alone?"_

 _"Oh yeah, I forgot. This is your_ _ **charity project**_. _"_

 _"I'll make it a_ _ **charity project**_ _if you keep bothering him. Go pick on someone else for god's sake." Kong and Flash walked away disgusted, but never said another word._

 _"Stiles, when are you going to learn to stay out of their way?" Harry wondered as he lightly put his hand on Stiles's shoulder as the teenager adjusted himself._

 _"Yeah, silly me for walking down the hall. What was I thinking?" Stiles laughed lightly... "I'll try harder."_

* * *

"You need to roll it off."

"Roll it off?" Stiles repeated as he turned to face Harry, only to find his friend with the most serious expression he had ever seen Harry muster, and to put it simply, it made Stiles's skin crawl. "What do you mean, roll it off?"

"I mean, don't worry about them, they're trying to make you angry and it's working. The moment you ignore them is when they'll leave you alone. After we graduate, you are going to like, _whiz_ right by them. You'll slap together with one of those internet companies that sell widgets and make forty million dollars or something; these guys, you know how it goes, Flash Thompson's whole life peaked like three weeks ago. You have a better future coming than that idiot could ever have."

"Yeah, and what about you?" Stiles wondered.

"Don't worry about me, I'm the son of Norman Osborn. My life is practically laid out for me, you are the one that has to lay groundwork, including that friendship with Lydia if you ever plan on initiating that plan to make her fall in love with you."

"The ten year plan? Ha, yeah that's not going to be a big deal for me. I'm working on school, Harry... you know that. I want to graduate with the highest grades possible and get into Empire State University on a scholarship. I have plans, and having a girlfriend right now isn't exactly going to be the best course of plan for that. I appreciate that you care, it's just not on my list of important things to do right now."

"Well, who knows, maybe she'll be more helpful than you realize if you become friends with her. She might just be able to get you out of that scarlet nerd zone you've been put in."

"That'd be nice." Stiles laughed as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and for a moment as he looked to the small window, he could have sworn he had seen someone with glowing blue eyes staring in on him, but it had to be his imagination, right?

* * *

The man in the black leather jacket growled as he hid from sight as he stood next to the window on the second floor, having been seen by Stilinski's son. He jumped off the roof and onto the street, the cement cracking as he punched it.

 _She's dead. I can't believe it, what did Osborn do to her? She was geting close to something, but what? No research to go on, but at least now I know that Dr. Gajos does have a son... he can be helpful if I can get to him without anyone knowing. I just need to watch and hope to god this "Stiles" can help me find out what Dr. Gajos uncovered, and find her before it's too late. That killer is going to strike again soon, and I need to find her before that happens._

* * *

 _ **Hey guys, late happy thanksgiving, I tried to update yesterday but it did not work at all, but I got to update today, and as for the update this is the last "boring" chapter we'll have for a while because things are about to pick up with the spider bite being right around the corner, and December will be a very productive time for me so be prepped for some chapters to come your way. I don't know if Legend of the Speedsters will be updated or not but I will try.**_

 _ **Questions for this chapter, and note I have a request, if you guys can hit ten-fifteen chapters by... say Monday, I will have the chapters up on Wednesday for sure. Would that be okay? I want to get up to chapter twelve ready to post by December 1st so please make it happen because I get inspired from more reviews.**_

 _ **1\. In the next chapter we have Scott and Stiles as the main focus. Scott has a change in his character that will help him as a vet for the animal clinic when we reach that point, but I was curious, what character twists would you like for the teenage characters? Like say... Danny. Or more eccentric characters that we didn't get enough of, and well, pretty much it's not what you think might happen, but merely your ideas. I have Scott and Lydia's characters planned out, so you let me know about the other ones.**_

 _ **2\. For the Spider Bite chapters, which there will be only one depending, would you like the Claudia backstory to push onward by going back for a flashback chapter? It'll help the story out if you guys do, but if not that is fine.**_

 _ **3\. Tell me, do you like this version of the story so far, and why?**_

 _ **4\. What characters do you hope to see in book one?**_

 _ **Remember, 10-15 reviews answering those questions and I will update with two chapters on Wednesday!**_

 _ **Until next time guys, please review and I will see you guys soon.**_


	11. Brothers

_Chapter Ten: Brothers_

* * *

 **Osborn Manor**

The perfect way to wake up, Lydia concluded, was this: as she opened her eyes, she felt the fresh cool air brought in by the south-western winds, and faintly she could just hear the birds chirping from the rooftop across the street. If that wasn't the perfect way to wake up, there was the dimly lit room and how the light peeking in through the blinds lit her boyfriend up like a spotlight as he yet slumbered. Jackson was barely visible from the sun gazing on him, but Lydia could tell what he look like, every inch of his face, his chiseled jaw, the small stubble that he could never get rid of no matter what razor he used to shave.

Lydia had spent countless nights memorizing his features, as it was the first and last time she would ever see him. The world is constantly evolving, and so are the threats. Beings with superhuman abilities outside of our understanding are showing up more and more frequently, each with powers stronger than the last. Lydia knew that her life could end at any possible moment, and she wanted to be able to see someone she loved before she died, and that was why she memorized what Jackson looked like.

She got up, and went and took a greatly needed shower...

When she got out of the shower and got dressed, fixing her appearance to her liking, the first thing Lydia did when she finished was admire her reflection in the bathroom's full-length mirror, fabricated to perfection; or at least as near to it as the human appearance ever got. Lydia, proud of herself for looking amazing broke into a diamond grind, only to notice that there was cherry lipstick imprinted on her two front teeth, in which she quickly rolled her tongue over them to wipe away the stain. Thinking to herself she thought: _I must look fabulous at all times._ That mantra was something she simply told herself to get through the day.

Lydia had always felt better when she looked even better, ever since she was a little girl, her mother would dress her up all pretty in satin gowns and pink posies. When she had that happen, it always made her feel like a princess from one of the countless fairy tales her parents used to read to her when she was young, but as she was finally satisfied, she took a step back and patted down the beige mini-skirt she was wearing to get rid of a humiliating crease in the fabric. She looked to be on point, her eye-shadow glimmering like gold... as if it was powdered sunlight. Her cheeks were rosy as ever, and the classic red of her plump lips complimented her stark emerald eyes. Her strawberry blonde locks had been carefully curled to perfection, bouncing with every step she took. To any passing students or teachers, Lydia was the picture of poise and confidence.

However Lydia was the only one who could see the deep seated imperfections embedded in her features: the shadows under her eyes that she covered up with a large abundance of concealer, the fading scar just under her chin that she'd earned when she fell of her bicycle when she was seven and had to get stitches on her knee, and the fact she was riding that day with Stiles Stilinski outside made it a little bit less tense in a sense because he fainted when he saw the wound because he thought he could see her bone. The pallid hue of her skin that she veiled with all the blush, even the pumps she wore to make herself feel better about her midget-like height. Just the idea of Stiles being around made Lydia smile, even though she shouldn't have.

Stiles Stilinski didn't really cross Lydia's mind much, but during her time as his neighbor from early childhood, she could always think of a memory that made her feel warm inside. There were times where she wished she had gotten to know him better as a kid, but then she remembered how he never really made any effort either, besides the occasional glance when he had that big crush on her.

God, that crush was one of the few things that made Lydia laugh; he was so pathetic when he was stumbling over his words trying to talk to her. If nowadays was any indication as to how he was as a child, then someone could understand why Lydia never spoke to him. He could barely get five words out without him going quiet for a good three seconds before continuing and blushing. It was cute for a while, but after a while it just became, sad.

There was one time when Stiles was eight that he managed to talk to her without stumbling over his words, and that was the day of his mother's funeral. Lydia remembered that day because Stiles just sat on the back porch for hours on end without saying a word, staring at his feet. Lydia didn't know what she had in mind when she walked over there, but it was one of the few times she and Stiles had a heart to heart talk. He talked to her about his mother, and that was the only time in that day where he smiled genuinely and wasn't blushing or anything like that, but just happy someone was talking to him.

Lydia felt a tear start to run down her face but she quickly wiped it away and fixed her mascara. _Perfection, Lydia... must have perfection._ She shouldn't have shed a single tear over Stiles Stilinski, but she remembered how weak he had been that night, and how when she was called home, Stiles hugged her tightly and said he was glad she was there.

"Hey, Lydia... you about done in there? Not that there isn't more than one bathroom in this place, but I still need to take a shower and my step-brother wants to take up the other one!" Jackson called from the hallway as Lydia gave herself one last look ensuring she looked her absolute best, and opened the door.

"No, Jackson... I am going to be in here the rest of my life ogling myself because my boyfriend doesn't get the need for my appearance to be top of the line." Lydia scolded him with her iconic prissy voice that Jackson hated.

"You look beautiful as always babe, I really need to take a shower, I'm pretty after last night I need one." Jackson was referring to how scared he was talking to Norman again about why he seemed rather sick, but Norman still never gave an answer. It was starting to bother Jackson as each night he was starting to get worse and worse. However, Jackson didn't notice how Lydia gave a coy smile as she thought he was referring to something else entirely.

"Well, I'll leave you to it."

"I think Norman wants to talk to you about something by the way."

"Is he here?"

"Not right now, I think he's prepping for that field trip on Monday. I doubt he wants anyone messing up one of his research projects when we get there. I'm sure if you wait a bit he'll show up and you can talk to him then."

"I wish I could, but I gotta go shopping with Liz today."

"Women and their shopping," Jackson muttered under his breath before kissing Lydia goodbye. "I'll see you later." Jackson stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Lydia grinned as she walked off.

* * *

When Stilinski opened his eyes that morning, he found Stiles sitting in the middle of the living room right in front of him, examining that briefcase he had found. For whatever reason Stiles had been glued to that thing after Harry left last night.

"What are you doing up so early?" Stilinski wondered as he yawned, his back popping while he stretched. He leaned forward to see Stiles had his glasses on and going to work running his hand all around the seams of the briefcase.

"I read through Mom's journal, and there was no more to go on, but I remember what you said about her being secretive and I could find out where she hid stuff because I think like her. I think there's something in here, but I've looked all through it, and there's nothing. I'm wondering if there's a secret compartment in here or something that I missed."

"Stiles, why did you read your mother's journal? You shouldn't know what Oscorp had her working on."

"Why not? She worked on it, she wrote down notes on it. I mean, it's technically our property, you know that as well as I do."

"No, that's not what I meant. I don't want you going down the same road as her, getting involved with Norman Osborn. You may be friends with Harry and granted you'll have encounters with him that way, but I don't want you being near that man any more than what you have to."

"What do you have against him? He's done nothing against our family and you're constantly saying he's the reason Mom is dead. You don't have any evidence to conclude that Dad! You're the one that always told me before I accuse anyone of something I need evidence, where's your evidence?"

"I don't need evidence to know, your mother was okay and then after an accident at work that should have never happened, she plummeted, and died three months later. I can feel it in my gut, and one day you'll see that I'm right."

"Dad, I'm trying to see if you're right. Mom's journal talks about her time at Oscorp, and so far... from the very little I've managed to read, there's nothing to show for your claim."

"Stiles, trust me on this, do not trust Norman. I'm telling you, there's more that he's hiding than you realize. Norman may seem like an upstanding person, but your mother, she knew how that man was. He was vindictive, cruel, and when it came down to it, he would put himself first before anyone else." Stiles lowered his head as he thought about how the journal talked about the Cross Species research was to cure Norman of his Retroviral Dysplasia. It made sense that they wanted to keep the main face of Oscorp alive as long as they could, even if it meant him first.

"Dad, I don't think it's impossible for you to try to play nice with Mr. Osborn is all I'm trying to say."

"There is no way I'm playing nice with him. He's lucky I didn't knock him out that day at your school." Stilinski growled as he got up and walked upstairs to go to the bathroom.

"Okay, whatever..." Stiles sighed before continuing his little inspection of the briefcase. He ran along the back wall, moving his finger against the seams, and as he reached the top right corner his finger went deeper into a hole. His eyes grew wide with excitement as he pulled open a secret compartment, and he found something inside. "Hello, what are you doing here little one? God, I sounded like a creep right there, never again... sound like Pennywise from IT."

Stiles pulled out the book, and found it was very similar to the journal he had read yesterday. As he opened it, he was met by his mother's familiar handwriting and the entry that was at the end of the last journal.

* * *

 **Journal 2, Entry 1**

* * *

 _My supervisor is forcing us to work harder to complete our research and find a cure for Norman's illness. Now, Norman has quite a few years left before it becomes critical... I'd say since the year is currently 2003 right now, about forty years, depending on how the disease continues to spread through his body. It will continue to get worse... the Cross Species project will help him, and millions. No more illnesses... it could be the end of all non man made diseases._

 _If we continue our latest branch of research, arachnids... mainly spiders, who knows what we may get... we have three main focuses... spiders, lizards, and wolves. Their DNA holds the most potential. Wolves are something I don't understand though, but whatever it is that's special about it, it makes the guys in the lab call it the Lycan Project. We are testing it right now, using the first human test subject for it... and results look promising. Subject's name is (_ _ **the name is strangely still scribbled out in this copy of the entry as well with permanent marker, making it impossible to figure out what it says underneath.)**_ _. The subject was blinded after an accident, and was hard of hearing after damage to the eardrum occurred from an explosion, now... the subject can see perfectly, hear things more clearly then ever, even things people can whisper from across the room... however, there are some concerns... (the complete entry continues from here) Subject Zero as he has been labeled has been having some strange side effects, fits of rage... attacking some of his caregivers that tried to draw blood, putting them into the ICU for two weeks due to the severity of their injuries. Subject Zero's anger appears to be heightening with the approach of the Full Moon. It is strange when one thinks about it, but there is no reason to believe that Subject Zero is a werewolf. That would be simply childish to even think of, although it is a possibility that I can't ignore. Norman wants progress reports almost every day now on Subject Zero's condition, and I almost want to hide them, because I can feel something in Norman changing with every report, like he's eager for something. It kind of scares me if I'm entirely honest._

 _He's asked me about my son before, about Mischief. When he asked, I saw something in his eyes, and I don't like it, not one single bit._

* * *

Stiles looked up from the book with a sick taste forming in his mouth as his father walked down the steps, and as their eyes met Stiles hid the journal from sight before Stilinski could ever notice it.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, uh... I was kind of wondering if you could possibly drive me to the hospital? I need to talk to Scott and he's working there for the day, shadowing his mom."

"I suppose I could do that, but I'd have to take you in about an hour because it's on my way to work, if that's okay with you?"

"Yeah, more than fine actually, it-it's perfect." Stiles stuttered as he put everything away in the briefcase and bolted upstairs, stopping by his father for a single moment to pat him on the shoulder. "Have you been working out?"

"What are you hiding? You never say that unless you're hiding something."

"What, I can't compliment my own father, what kind of a monster do you think I am, hiding something from a cop... if you would _police_ excuse me I gotta get ready."

"Oh that pun didn't work..."

"Didn't it? I think it served it's purpose." Stiles retorted as he ran up the stairs to his room, and Stilinski stood there with a dumb look on his face.

"I haven't seen him run that fast since I told him the jeep was his."

Stiles sat down in his desk after getting fully dressed, and began looking in the journal and found the second entry was not about this "Subject Zero" character that Claudia was, _experimenting_ on, if Stiles could even muster the courage to say that heinous word.

No, experimenting was not the right word as Claudia would never use another person for genetic tampering that could possibly kill them. Claudia could never do something like that, at least... that's what he believed he knew about her, anyway.

* * *

 **Journal 2, Entry 2.**

* * *

 _We have three specific areas we are working on for the Cross Species research that has promising leads. Spiders, Lizards, and Wolves are the most promising so far as they have held the best results as of recently. The Wolves section of the research, better known as the Lycan Project. This was designated as the unofficial title of the project by one of Dr. Connors's associates, Dr. Michael Morbius. Dr. Morbius is a brilliant man, if not flawed in his own ways. He has won a nobel prize in his field, however he still seems unsatisfied with his life._

 _Perhaps this has something to do with his own illness that he seeks to cure with Cross Species Genetics. I don't know the specifics but from I understand he has a fatal blood disease that could kill him by the time he hits forty. There's more going on than just Norman Osborn's Retroviral Dysplasia... and I wish that we could do this so everyone could benefit from this._

 _Which brings me to the Spiders. We've gone through multiple experimentations on arachnids, and currently are on series X. These are the most prominent specimens that we have created as they show signs of being able to have their DNA adapt to different species like rats and even humans. However, we have difficulty proving this as the venom from the specimens kill the hosts. The X-1 through X-94 are all failures in that aspect, but there's something about the X-95 that seems different. I don't know what it is that I did, but I fixed the problem the other ones had. The Decay Rate Algorithm has been the key to this all along. The X-95 appears to be the perfect subject, but I'm afraid that Norman's intentions might be less than beneficial for mankind._

 _Radiation, the Oz Serum that Norman's lead scientist that he trusts with his life, both metaphorical and literal, Dr. Mendel Stromm created, which is supposed to enhance the bodily muscles and senses by five hundred percent, and as each trial goes, it keeps increasing. There are side effects for the serum on its own, but with the other genetic modifications I've done to the X-95, there should be no problem with any side effects to the Oz serum, but this is just a theory, as until we reach human trials, we can never know for certain..._

* * *

 _"_ Mom..."

* * *

Scott McCall was to Stiles Stilinski what Han Solo was to Luke Skywalker, his Watson to Holmes, Hooch to Turner, Jack to Will, Ryan to Esposito, Sweets to Booth, although some might question if that was reversed but no matter... in many ways, Scott was the brother Stiles never had, and their bond was practically unbreakable. Scott was always the person Stiles could depend on to help him, no matter what kind of problem he had, even if it was something that wasn't even a problem at all. When Stiles showed up to the hospital with the journal in hand, he found Scott at a desk talking with his mother about one of the patients. Scott had asked his mother if he could intern at the hospital as a way to help him prepare for his future as he either wanted to be a veterinarian or a doctor, and either way the practice in medicine would help him tremendously no matter what.

Scott worked here a couple days in the week, although it was only for a couple hours officially, he took pride in his work and was quickly building a reputation with the other doctors in the hospital, noting him to be a very bright kid. Stiles smiled as he walked up to him, and Scott looked almost surprised to see him there, although Stiles was there all too often to say hello to his best friend.

"Stiles? I take it you're not here because you need to see a doctor?"

"No, not this time... I, uh... do you have a minute, I want to talk to you about something."

"Can it wait, I'm kind of working right now." Scott asked, although Stiles's face showed his resolve and Scott sighed. "Give me a minute, I'll talk to you at the cafeteria, I'm getting hungry anyway."

"Okay, I'll see you there."

When Scott finally got there, Stiles had already taken the liberty of getting Scott food, and when the teenager sat down Stiles was on him before he could even say a word. "So, what is it you want to talk about?"

"Do you remember how I told you that I found a journal that belonged to my Mom by chance the other day? I was looking through it, and it was about her work at Oscorp."

"Really? Shouldn't you, like... I don't know, turn it in to Oscorp since it's technically their research?"

"It's not research, Scott. It's her talking about what she worked on, nothing more. Anyway, you might want to take a look at this." Stiles pulled the journals out of his pocket and handed it over to Scott as the teen ate some of the food in front of him.

"What is this?" Scott asked looking at him for a moment before reading the journal entries. "Cross Species Genetics? I've heard of that, isn't it that Oscorp project run by Dr. Connors?"

"-and my mother..." Stiles answered with a nod.

"Wait, so your mom, and Dr. Connors were working on this stuff before she got sick?" Stiles nodded once more as Scott kept reading the journal until he came upon the bit about Norman's illness. "Retroviral Dysplasia?"

"Any idea on what that is?"

"Yeah, my Mom told me about this a while back because someone's blood sample was positive for it. It's really rare, like one in a million kind of rare; one of the reasons it's so rare is because it's hereditary, and even then the chances of getting it is slim. You're telling me that Norman Osborn has Retroviral Dysplasia? That means Harry could get it."

"I know, and I think that's why Norman started the Cross Species research, I mean, indirectly. Norman created it for himself, and whether anyone knows it or not, Norman is dying, and he's running out of time."

"Wait, but your mom said,"

"I know what my Mom said in her journal, Scott, but here's the thing... you know this better than I do, but I do know that it is a virus that escalates randomly. He could have months left to live honestly."

"So, why are you telling me about this?"

"Because, I saw something in there, and I need to know if Oscorp has it."

"What did you see, exactly?"

"After it mentioned the Retroviral Dysplasia, there was a part of the research that she mentioned about a series of spiders she created, the X series. There's a spider called the X-95, and it's apparently the one she believed to be the perfect specimen for the research."

"Okay, so what do you want to do then? I mean, it's not like you can just go in and ask to see it."

"I'm not asking to see it, Scott. Look, Harry's said that the really important research isn't at the Hempstead facility, but rather at Oscorp Tower. Now, from what it implied, Norman might not have realized how important the X-95 really is. I think it might be there at the Hempstead facility." Stiles explained with a smile on his face, but Scott didn't share this enthusiam that he did.

"So, what are you going to do if you find this spider, not mentioning the whole issue with _getting to the spider_ in the first place. You know as well as I do that you're going to get in a lot of trouble if you try to go to somewhere off-limits."

"See, Scott... this is why I'm coming to you. I want your help."

"Me? What could I do to help you in this hare-brained scheme that you've got cooked up?"

"Well, Monday we're going to the facility, right? We're going there as a group, and with you there as well..."

"I'm starting to see where you're going, you want me to create a distraction while you sneak off, don't you?" Stiles nodded quickly. "What are the odds you'll actually be able to pull this off without getting caught or in trouble."

"Probably one in a million chance, but there's a chance."

"This is such a stupid plan..." Scott muttered lowly, just enough to where Stiles could hear him, but Stiles saw that twinkle in Scott's eyes. "but it's not the worst thing we've done. Remember the locker room incident?"

"You mean when we got stuck in the girl's locker room because of Jackson and Flash? Yeah, that was not my favorite _incident_ , but can I take that as a yes?" Scott smiled at him and Stiles knew his answer immediately: yes.

"What's the plan when you actually find this X-95? What then?"

"I mean, I want to know if it's there, but, I don't know, it's just been in the back of my head, something scratching at me to find that spider. I think I'll be content just to know it's actually there, that my mother's research wasn't for nothing."

"Okay, that's good enough for me, but I still think this is a really bad idea."

"Scott, bad ideas are what the country was founded on, and also bad ideas are also what caused us to get stuck in that locker room. I should have never thrown that pizza at the back of Jackson's head."

"Hey, it was funny at the time, however it was terrifying afterwards when we were running for our lives; too bad that's the only time we'll be able to do something like that," Scott laughed as he took another bite. "You know, I swear the only time you come to the hospital to see me is for your plans."

"That is not true at all! I see you because of your plans!"

"Stiles, _my plans_ were created by you therefore making it _your plans_!"

"I frankly have no idea what you are referring to."

"Sure you don't, but I have a question. Who is Subject Zero?"

* * *

The man in the black leather jacket stepped into the Stilinski household, smelling the air, catching a faint scent belonging to Dr. Gajos. It was old, eight years to be precise, and as he stepped up the stairs, he began to get a better scent of what he was searching for. The boy, whom he understood to be named "Stiles" had searched for Dr. Gajos's research, but he didn't have the capabilities as the man in the jacket did.

His eyes glowed an icy blue as he stepped into the hallway, and stopped just before the lab where Stiles and Harry had studied in yesterday, and he turned to face the closet. As he opened it, his sight revealed what was hidden, and the man opened a secret compartment into the attic. The air was stale, and so full of dust that the man couldn't hardly breathe, but as he climbed up those old wooden steps, he could see his goal. He stepped into the secret part of the attic, and stood face to face with his image hung on Claudia's dry-erase board, and above it was his codename that Oscorp had given him: Subject Zero.

Subject Zero's eyes narrowed as his claws came out and he unleashed an animalistic roar as the door to the attic shut behind him.

* * *

 **Hey guys, there's the chapter, and I know it was quite frankly a short chapter, but it filled in ideas for what was going on. And I saw the reviews put in, and unfortunately I won't post the other chapter on Wednesday unless of course I somehow get really freaking inspired. Haha, no, uh... this chapter was pretty much me fixing what I felt was kind of a mistake honestly with last chapter. The last chapter had that entry cut off, but as you see Journal 2, Entry 1 had the full version, and repeated information. Which is what brings me to this statement:**

 **Last chapter I repeated a scene from Chapter Eight: Honor thy Father. This was just as a way for me to understand where to start from and forgot it was there, so sorry if I confused some people, but it was to help me out in my own little way and I am sorry for that. If you guys look now it's fixed but yeah, that happened.**

 **I have some questions as for this chapter, but first I would like to make an announcement. For those wondering about why I haven't updated Legend of the Speedsters lately, it's because I have to do some work, and I can't really describe that work right now because it might make people upset based on what I choose. I want to do an Arrowverse type deal with multiple stories connecting, and if I do what I want, people could not like it and I don't want that to happen as I try to please my readers, although the Flash suit problem isn't on my list of things to get to right away, as we still got like three chapters left for the whole "before the lightning bolt hit them" intro. I also have to figure out what I'm doing for pairings and get a cover set up for that, and honestly it's just overwhelming right now, and I personally like having a plan before I go into writing, which is why I am halting my chapter progress for the Flash story. It's not discontinued or abandoned by any means, it's going still, but for right now it's on hiatus. I hope you guys can understand for those who read this and that story, but it has to be done for now.**

 **Also, on brighter news, I got a brand new cover for this book if you guys saw, but unfortunately the site did not show the full cover, which is why if you look up Ultimate Spider Chronicles: Web of Deception on Wattpad you'll see the beauty of the full cover, but I will tell you I update here first. So you guys have first dibs on the chapters, don't worry I will keep posting here.**

 **Review answers:**

 **Guest: Felicia Hardy will show up, and I'm not too certain about Jessica Drew for right now. Drew might show up in a later book if not this one because I have a certain plan for this, if I can put it that way. Right now, Web of Deception is focusing more on the Spidey aspect and even for the second half of the book, Teen Wolf season one, so in case you're wondering when we'll do the Teen Wolf arc instead of the Teen Wolf characters being just in the Spidey world. There's your answer for that.**

 **0: Coulson does show up, that's a definite.**

 **Guest: Yes I saw my mistake, thank you for pointing it out, I will try to not have that happen again, I hope I didn't confuse you too much.**

 _ **Now, the questions I have...**_

 _ **1\. In this chapter the man in the leather jacket, a.k.a. the werewolf, has been revealed to be the Lycan Project's Subject Zero. Now, based on what you guys can tell by how he acts, and how he dresses, and perhaps some of the things he has said, who do you think Subject Zero is really? I want that mystery element but just give your best idea as to who it is, and for those who already know by some sort of info given to you, don't spoil it, let's see who can figure it out.**_

 _ **2\. Ah, my personal favorite question for this chapter. If you had to choose one character in Teen Wolf, from any period in the show between season one and three b, who would you have die, and why? I look forward to your answers...**_

 _ **3\. Not really a question, but also is... if that makes sense. Next chapter sets forth the very arc that all of you have been waiting for, rather patiently actually, better than the Legend of the Speedsters characters who were dying to see Stiles in the Flash suit by chapter nine, and we're on chapter fifteen. God they hate me sometimes because of how thorough I am with my writing to make the story flow the way I need it to. I can tell you guys that for this book, until we reach the end of Season Zero, as I'm calling the first half of the book, Stiles will not don the complete Spider-Man suit. This is an Origin Story, and let me be honest here, the Origin Story is the best freaking part of any superhero story. Sure, each retelling is the same in concept, but we are talking about creating the symbol of who these people are. Every hero has one, to Superman, to Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, all of these people have amazing origins, and I am creating my own for Stiles. You guys seem to be okay with this idea of mine for this version since I made it very clear that I am fleshing things out and making the proper origin. No more rushing, no more half thinking. If I am to do this, I need to make the perfect story for this version, and this is how I'm doing it. My question, I suppose, for this... is what do you want to see in this origin of his? That's my question. What do you want to see in his origin?**_

 **Until next time guys, please review and I will see you all later**


	12. The Field Trip

_Chapter Eleven: The Field Trip_

* * *

 **Monday Morning.**

 ** _McCall Residence_**

* * *

"We're still going through with the plan, right?" Scott asked Stiles as they were on Skype with each other. Today was the day for the field trip, and Scott was still trying to make sense of Stiles' gung-ho plan to infiltrate Oscorp's lab and after days of conversing, the "best" worst plan they had at their disposal was for Scott to get sick therefore distracting the group and the Oscorp employees so Stiles could sneak off and slither his way through the labs to wherever the X-95 might be located at, if it was even there. It was a long stretch to think that Oscorp would keep something as valuable as the X-95 at the Hempstead facility but based on what Stiles said and the journal entry, Norman might have no idea just how valuable the X-95 really was, or in Scott's personal opinion, Norman might know and just didn't have the tools to make the spider's venom work.

The spider venom was supposed to be the key to creating a Cross Species, but human testing would require multiple stages, and based on how the X-1 through X-94 went, human testing might have been off the table for the safety of the employees and test subjects. Scott knew that it would be miraculous if Stiles could somehow get back into the storage areas, but it would be like winning the lottery five times in a row for him to find the spider, if it was even there.

"It's the only plan we've got Scott, and there won't be another chance to do it. How often is it that we get to step into one of Oscorp's buildings?"

"Never."

"That's right, so the fact we have this chance, we can't waste it."

"Alright, so how are we going to make me _get sick_?" Scott inquired, noticing that unless they could genuinely prove that Scott was sick, there would be no way that this distraction would ever work.

"I got it figured out, oatmeal and milk. Put it in a tinted water bottle so nobody really knows, and when you take a drink, let me get ready and then throw it up. I mean, it's not like we can actually make you sick without causing some sort of unnecessary complication."

"Complication? Stiles, I hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure our lives are built on complications."

"Well, not for this. I'll see you in a few, I need to get some stuff together that way the ride to Hempstead will be comfortable and productive."

"Why does this sound like I'm going to be disturbed by what you find productive? I'll see you at school." Stiles shrugged and ended the call, to where Scott looked at the last image of Stiles that was shown, and just barely, if it wasn't his imagination, it looked like there was somebody in Stiles' room, right behind him.

* * *

 **Stilinski Residence**

* * *

Stiles went to get off the computer when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end, making him turn around fast, only to find the room was empty. The window, however, was notably open with the curtains being blown by the wind. It must have been his imagination, thinking someone might have been there in the room with him, but one could never be too careful anymore. Getting up out of the chair, Stiles grabbed his book bag, put his mother's journals in his bag, along with the Identity Thief case notes that his Dad "unknowingly" left behind in there as well.

Seeing as he didn't want to mess up any of the journals here, Stiles had taken the liberty of going to the nearest store and getting a couple of journals himself, as he felt the journals were going to come in handy real soon. Once those were put away in his bag as well, Stiles put his glasses on and stepped into the hallway, stepping right by the closet that was slightly ajar.

Stiles wouldn't have noticed it if not for the strange noise that came from within it, and as he looked inside, he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, just a regular closet. He closed it gingerly, before walking downstairs and to the cruiser where his father was waiting.

"So, you have everything you need?" Stilinski asked as Stiles sat down, putting his seat belt on.

"Yeah, I've got everything. Hopefully the jeep will be out of the shop on Wednesday. I'm pretty sure I need to sell my left kidney to pay for the repairs." Stilinski started the car as Stiles took one last look at the house, where he could have sworn in his lab he saw blue eyes staring back at him for a moment, and then just like that it was gone.

* * *

Subject Zero looked around Claudia's lab, or Stiles's lab, and ran his hands all around the equipment, and through his senses gained images of the past, seeing Stiles working at the board trying to figure out his mother's equations, and the teenager spending countless nights up here working on something. Subject Zero knew better than to think that Claudia might have left something here, but if she did then he wasn't going to find it because the place was covered by Stiles's scent, and no one else's.

 _Dr. Gajos's son is going to the Hempstead Oscorp facility today... he'll be searching for her work, and knowing Osborn, he'll be there waiting to ensure no accidents occur with the outside bodies. Stiles is getting in over his head, I need to intervene, even if that means I'm going to have to reveal myself. Osborn may not know for certain that I'm alive, but I have to risk it. Stiles is the only chance I have to finding her, and if he goes, so does any hope of finding her alive._

* * *

By the time Stiles had arrived at school, he felt confident that he would be able to find out more about what his mother was working on, but that wasn't what he was focused on at that moment. He had work to do...

Hopping into the gymnasium knowing that he was actually early for once, rather than being late as ninety-five percent of the time accounted for, and slipped his book bag off quickly unzipping it to reach in and grab the police files his father had snagged for him. He opened the folder with one hand and grabbed a journal and pen with the other.

Believing that he could find something that his father and the other police officers on the case might have missed, Stiles opened the journal and grabbed a sharpie, before going to work.

* * *

 **The Identity Thief:**

 **Suspected serial killer involved with four murders in the past month... one a week based on police reports. The first victim was found on August 3rd, followed by the second on August 10th, the third on August 17th, and the fourth was found the next day on the 18th. The fourth one was found one day after the third victim, breaking the killer's regulated killing schedule to one every seven days. All the victims are related by age, and appearance.**

 **The victims are around the same age, seventeen to eighteen years old, blonde Caucasian females, all reported missing a week before their deaths. Based on lacerations on the victims' wrists, it's likely that The Identity Thief ties the females up, believing himself to be in power, in control. The way the victims are tortured, it's likely the killer is in fact a male.**

 **Each victim was found within a ten block radius of its predecessor, and police have been unable to pinpoint any location where the killer's "hunting ground" might be.**

 **What is curious is the fact that all of the victims had their faces removed post-mortem, and seemed to have taken great care removing them. This would require years of practice for the accuracy and knowledge to perform surgery at this scale, as even some organs appeared to have been removed.**

 **Several broken bones and even strangulation occurred throughout their time in captivity. What would make someone go off the deep end and go on a murder spree like this?**

* * *

Stiles noticed something about the locations suddenly, and he pulled out his phone and opened a map of Manhattan and began looking up the locations, marking them with a red dot. The four spots lined up in a precise way that if there was a fifth victim it would spell out a… C.

He followed the line to where it would be perfectly parallel to the first victim, the top of the C, and marked it, before writing down the location. Stiles wasn't exactly certain, but he had a feeling if his father went there, another body would be found.

With a quick text he sent the location to his father, before calling him quickly in the hopes of finding a victim before the evidence was contaminated in any way.

"Hello?" his father answered on the other end of the call, and he seemed rather annoyed. "Stiles, aren't you supposed to be in school right now?"

"I don't have to be at school technically until eight, but Dad. I took a look at the notes, and you need to look at what I sent you. It's an address; I think that's where the next victim will be."

"Wait, did I just hear you right? I could have sworn that you just said you think you found out where the next victim might be."

"Dad, you heard me right."

"No offense, but how the hell did you figure that out?"

"I was just looking at the area where the bodies were located at and I marked down each location on the map, and it just connected. I think the killer is trying to create some sort of connect-the-dots body puzzle."

"So, if you're right, what's the killer spelling right now?"

"He's spelling a C… I don't think this is the first time he's gone on a murder spree either. I'd need to look back at some records but I think there may be more than _5_ victims at the least. You need to check that out as soon as you can Dad… if you can get there early enough you might be able to find some clue as to how to find this guy."

"Thanks son, now, stay out of trouble and I'll see you when you get home tonight, okay?" Stilinski asked with that infamous growl that unconsciously screamed that if Stiles did anything wrong Stiles was going to face the wrath of a thousand suns when he got home, or something along those lines.

"Alright, see you tonight pops." Stiles hung up the phone as he looked at the file more right when Scott stepped into the doorway of the gym.

"Stiles, what are you doing in here man? We need to get to the bus soon."

"I was working on something for my Dad; I think I just helped him out with a case surprisingly enough. We need to score that back seat to ourselves; I am not sitting by Jared again, the last time I did he threw up all over me. I had Jared's vomit seeping into my very soul for weeks Scotty."

"It's not his fault that gets motion sickness in vehicles." Scott tried to cheer Stiles up as his friend clamored to pick his stuff up and stuff it back into his book bag in a somewhat neat order. "Hey, how come you're wearing your glasses today?"

"I felt like it, perhaps it'll give me that extra edge to avoiding detection at Oscorp," he laughed with a shrug, to which Scott returned with a laugh of his own.

"Yeah, maybe. Do you have that oatmeal cocktail that you want me to drink and then… you know."

"It's right here, although as we've been told throughout all of our science courses over the past three years, it's unwise to drink or eat when in a lab that contains volatile chemicals and other substances."

"Stiles, you can either give me the drink, or I won't help, it's one or the other."

"Here, just be ready to play the part when we get there and I give you the signal. We better get going." Stiles handed him the drink as he slung the book bag lazily over his shoulder, following Scott towards the buses.

* * *

"Jesus, dude… what did you bring with you?" Scott asked as he lifted Stiles' bag putting it beside his own once they got their seat on the bus just as Stiles had hoped.

"Well, besides the journal and the case notes," Stiles started explaining putting his finger on his chin trying to recall what all he had actually packed in there this morning before he left. Scott knew about the case notes as shortly after they left the gym Stiles explained to him in strict confidence that it was revolving that Identity Thief murder case, and he didn't want to know more, but there was the curiosity scratching away at him. "I've got four bottles of powerade, the red ones as they are our favorites, three bags of barbeque chips, and a box of chocolate. I figured if we're riding to Hempstead might as well get comfortable. We just can't let Coach see us with food, because he'll _confiscate_ it and eat it himself just because he feels like torturing me."

"Stilinski! There better not be food on this bus! You know what will happen if I find any you twerp." Coach's voice rang from the front of the bus as everyone piled on, and Stiles just dropped open his mouth, wondering if Coach had superhuman hearing because that timing was just uncanny.

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Stiles yelled to him, as Coach's eyes narrowed, never breaking sight on him. It was at that moment that Stiles daringly pulled a chip out and ate it right in front of Coach.

"What is that?!"

"It's a piece of gum! Actually, do you mind coming back here? I think you need these glasses more than I do." Stiles smiled as Coach growled before slumping down into the front seat, prompting Scott to lightly punch Stiles in the arm.

"Are you trying to get our food taken? I thought you said we can't let Coach see it?"

"Hey, I meant he couldn't be back here and see it man. If he's up front he can't see what I actually put in my mouth."

"Well, have fun on the next suicide run; I think he might be harder on you than anyone else just because of that."

"I'll survive, if I don't, well… I died as I lived, a sack of sarcasm waiting for the next punch line."

"You're definitely something."

* * *

Harry was already at the lab, trying to speak with his father, who had been elusive ever since they had talked at the high school about Harry stepping in to help Stiles out when Flash tried to bash Stiles's head into the ground.

"Let me tell you _something_ about the American Consumer Market, Joe. The Cigarette companies – **_listen_** to me – the cigarette companies were putting _addictive_ levels of nicotine in cigarettes decades before anyone figured it out. And when the Government of the United States got around to figuring it out – it was too late. The entire world was already having a _nicotine fit_. So, don't tell me that it is against the rules to add whatever additives we so desire to our own products... especially if it's ones that saves lives. If I see fit to – Then, what? Deny, deny, **deny**." Norman's eyes grew wide as he realized that the man on the other end of the phone had put the call on hold.

"Sir?" asked Justin as Norman pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at it with pure disgust.

"He put me on _hold_. Amazing. The nerves of men nowadays."

"Uh, Dad?" asked Harry, making Norman turn to face him, and Norman was mildly surprised to see Harry there. "Did you remember that my science class is coming to visit the labs today? Because I was hoping that you could talk with my friend Stiles, the one you talked to the other day at school."

"What about?"

"Stiles is a very smart guy, as far as I can tell he's one of the smartest people in Midtown, and that involves the teachers sometimes. I was wondering if you might be able to offer him an internship or something here at Oscorp, maybe not the labs, but rather the tower."

"Oscorp Tower is no place for an intern, especially just a teenager Harry, we have some of our more _precious_ research at the tower, and I don't want to take a chance of him getting caught in the middle."

"Look, Stiles could handle it, you should see the setup he has at his house, the lab."

"Right, I almost forgot about that, sorry I'm preoccupied at the moment. Tell me, how smart did you say Stiles is?"

"Smart enough to be one of your top workers."

"So you say."

"Do you really want me to prove it?"

"I'm not saying that, I just want to make sure that you saying this isn't because he's your friend and you feel sorry for him, so you're trying to get him a job."

"I'm not, just give him a chance and you'll see just how smart he really is."

* * *

"So, since we're almost to the point of no return, are you sure that you want to do this, because tell me, what are the actual chances that this X-95 and even possibly your mother's research is actually here at the lab?" Scott asked one last time as they walked with the tour group through the lab, their bags on their back, and Scott gingerly held the tinted water bottle with the milk and oatmeal inside of it. That was going to leave a disgusting taste in his mouth, he just knew it.

"It's like one in a million, but still… I need to try Scott. Are you backing out of this now? Dude, we can't back out now!"

"That's not what I'm doing, it's just… yeah I can do it for you, but Stiles you're going to have to be careful, those guards will get violent with you if you do something extremely stupid."

"Scott, stupid is my middle name half of the time... I'll be fine." They reached the labs after a few minutes, and Stiles saw a familiar blonde man with one arm, Dr. Curt Connors. He was talking with some of the interns, and Jackson was standing there talking with Norman Osborn at the end of the room.

"Well... Norman doesn't look too bad for have a life threatening illness." said Scott taking in Norman's appearance, the only thing about Norman being even remotely different was the slight bags under his eyes, but nothing more.

"The journal did say he had about forty years left, depending on how the disease spread... so he still has thirty years at least."

"Or most." retorted Scott, as Jackson walked over to the crowd of students with Norman Osborn.

"Welcome to Oscorp Tower ladies and gentlemen." greeted Norman, looking towards Stiles and smiling. "Today you will see some of what Oscorp has to offer to the world. People say many things about the company and their intentions, some have called us insane for our research... but just know this, we are engineers! We are trailblazers, and as you know, we look towards the advancement of mankind. As some of you may be aware of, Oscorp Industries recently began working with the New York Police Force in order to stop the recent string of bank robberies that has killed multiple civilians and police officers... we are preparing to unveil a new weapon against these men and women responsible." Norman continued on for a few moments talking about how Oscorp strived for the safety of Manhattan's civilians, among some other things.

Stiles waited a few moments before nudging Scott's arm initializing the activation of their plan. He could see Scott turn pale already, probably thinking about how the two hour old oatmeal that had been soaking in warm milk would taste like in his mouth, and Stiles smiled knowing this was going to be believable.

"You owe me big time Stiles… remember that." Scott gulped before bringing the drink to his lips, and took in a large amount, letting it sit around in his mouth for a few moments, looking Stiles dead in the eyes, motioning him to back up.

"Hey, Scott… you feeling okay man?" Stiles asked, trying to play the part as Scott held his stomach, grunting, or whatever that noise was, because it didn't even sound human, and Scott turned, kneeling over, silently passing Stiles the bottle just moments before, and within three seconds as everyone began taking note, Scott _hurled_ out milk and oatmeal, causing screams and other noises from the students and even some of the workers.

"Oh man, I…" he hurled out the rest of the oatmeal in his mouth, having been unable to spew everything out in one go, which honestly made the whole bit a little more believable. "I think that milk was bad…"

Scott was helped to the infirmary while a cleanup crew came in and cleaned the mess up, the tour continuing on a minute after Scott's abrupt ailment. However, nobody had noticed that Stiles Stilinski had disappeared like a ghost…

* * *

Stiles had managed to sneak into an unoccupied bathroom, where right above the stalls was the ventilation shaft.

"Oh god, I don't want to fall into the toilet…" he muttered lightly before entering the stall, putting both of the seat lids down at once, and looked up. If he stepped on the back of the toilet he could easily reach up to the vent and pull it open, but getting in, that might have been another story.

He got the vent open after using all of his body weight, and landing on the ground with a loud thud, Stiles climbed his way into the vent, covering the way out, with his book bag empty on his back. Thankfully Scott had taken all of his things and put them into his own bag for Stiles that way he could take it with him in case he actually found some of his mother's research.

Stiles turned the flashlight on his phone on and began his journey into the unknown…

* * *

 **Hey guys, sorry for the short chapter after so long, but I just got a new laptop so I haven't really had time to write beforehand, and I had no way of getting my stuff online until now. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and we are closing in on the spider bite!**

 **In case you're wondering about Legend of the Speedsters, I have been busy on it, revising things and adding small snippets to it to make it better. It's not republished or anything like that, it was just my way of cleaning it up. Anyway, as for Legend of the Speedsters I will be updating that soon.**

 **I do have an announcement. I will be having a friend of mine help me with this story so the feel and even the writing style might seem different in parts, and that is because it is not my writing, but rather something a little closer to the vision I wanted. It will start happening after Chapter Fifteen, so just be warned about that.**

 **I don't have any questions for you guys, but I will probably have one for the next update. Until next time guys please review and thanks.**


	13. Restricted Access

_Chapter Twelve: Restricted Access_

* * *

"I'm telling you, I feel fine, I just think that milk I had this morning went bad or something... I swear." Scott tried to explain to the doctor giving him attention in the infirmary, as he waited for any word from Stiles, knowing that it would take more than a few minutes for either Stiles to accomplish his goal, or more likely to get caught and brought back, and by god Scott wasn't looking forward to the latter.

"Well, we still need to make sure you're cleared to go through the lab, you might be a threat to the well being of employees here."

"Hey, if a glass of milk brings down this lab, then I am really sorry..." Scott muttered lightly, as the doctor laughed.

"You know, anything is possible kid. If we can have people with superhuman abilities running around, then who knows what a glass of milk might be able to do."

"I've seen the Butterfly Effect, I know how this could go." Scott shuddered as he heard the clanking of metal above him, and while the doctor didn't notice it, Scott just smiled lightly as he saw through a crack in a vent a light from a phone...

* * *

Now, he had expected the ventilation shaft to be dark, but it was far darker than what Stiles had taken into consideration, as even with the flashlight on his phone, seeing was just a pain. He couldn't even see where he was going, and what really made him upset about this was that he had no idea where he was even going per say; all he knew was that he was going in the general direction of the labs.

 _I could have planned this a little differently, but then again... I didn't think I'd get this far. I might as well do what I always do, improvise._

Stiles continued onward through the cramped ventilation shaft, rather pleased with himself that he had not developed claustrophobia during his life, as right about now he would have had a panic attack. Luckily the vents were well filtered and Stiles knew that he wouldn't be breathing in anything harmful other than a large amount of dust build up on the inner walls of the vent.

"Real smart, Stiles... you make a plan to sneak into Oscorp and you don't even make a freaking plan to find the lab through a vent? I mean, seriously? I should have figured out a way to get blueprints or something! That way I could have laid my path out beforehand, instead of winging it." he cursed himself for his lack of planning, but he didn't take into consideration the fact he had only been planning this since Friday and couldn't have gotten the blueprints easily, but this was a young man stuck in a vent, and he wasn't exactly thinking straight.

After crawling for what felt like an eternity he came upon an opening where he saw light from a snowy white hallway, so bright that Stiles didn't feel like it was real. He slowly pried the vent open trying to get a better view of where he was, and saw that the Restricted Access lab was down the hall, about twenty feet away.

"Bingo, this has to be where Mom's research is. They wouldn't let their assets just be out in the open, they'd keep it away from sight." He poked his head out, scanning the hallway to see if anyone was there, before dropping down, landing on the ground with a heavy thud, and Stiles felt his back pop in multiple spots. "Oh I'm going to feel that."

Stumbling to his feet, Stiles started down the hallway, all the way to the Restricted Access door right smack dab at the end, like a beacon. He could feel himself being drawn to it, and as he grew closer, he could feel the air thicken and he soon could see his breath. It might have been his imagination, but Stiles couldn't lie, it felt like it was twenty degrees in here.

As he reached that door, he noticed a key card scanner, and he cursed under his breath. What was he going to do now? He was about to turn around when he heard a beep, and the door slide open. Stiles looked forward as the door opened, and in the darkness, he saw someone standing there with icy blue eyes that stared into his very soul.

"Oh boy..." was all he got out before the person's arm reached out, grabbed him by the shirt collar and yanked him into the dark room, the door sliding shut behind Stiles.

* * *

 **Manhattan**

* * *

Stilinski's car halted to a stop as he arrived at the location Stiles had sent him through that text, and grabbing his flashlight he bolted into the nearby alley. His gut was screaming at him that there was something here, there had to be. The clouds were darkening as thunder echoed in the far distance, and Stilinski immediately knew that if there was in fact a body here, there was going to be very little time to collect any evidence before the rain came in.

At most there was probably an hour before the rain would hit, and Stilinski had to search fast. Still running, Stilinski caught sight of something hidden underneath a garbage bag bringing him to an abrupt halt, and as he stepped near the bag, it became apparent that Stiles was in fact correct on his assumption.

There, underneath the garbage bag was a lifeless woman, without a face. Stilinski knelt down as thunder crackled above him. Stiles was right... that means Stiles was actually the police force's best chance of finding the Identity Thief.

Reaching for his radio, Stilinski caught sight of something on the wall, painted in blood. His bones chilled at a message most likely from the killer.

 _If you want me... think, and find him..._

Stilinski gulped lightly before calling the body in. Things were taking a turn, and Stilinski had no idea where this was going to go. He needed Stiles' help, that was all he knew.

* * *

"Okay folks, now I'm sure Mr. Osborn gave you a bit of knowledge on what Oscorp is about, but just in case he missed something, as he is a very busy man... As some of you might be aware, yes... Mr. Osborn is the founder of Oscorp Industries, but the company was created as a reboot of his father's family company which at the time was named Osborn Industries. Since 1973, even after the name change back in the nineties, Oscorp Industries has been dedicated to providing innovative materials for manufacturing, construction, automotive, chemical processing, and numerous other global industries. We are a leading global manufacturer. Oscorp operates about one hundred and ten major manufacturing and seven research and developments facilities worldwide. One of our top priorities is safety, especially for our brave men and women of our country who are both on the front lines, and here on American soil. We manufacture and produce chemically engineered products with special focus on replacements of EHS hazardous acids and solvents..." the tour guide began speaking as Norman took off to some other part of the lab where he was needed.

Lydia was standing quietly with the rest of the tour group, paying attention to what was going on with the other students; there was Flash and Kong, joking around with each other, punching each other and quietly chuckling. Jackson was walking up ahead by Danny, and Lydia shook her head content knowing that Jackson could manage to have fun with someone that wasn't always a complete jerk like Flash was. Danny was one of the nicest people Jackson hung out with; he was always one of the few people that would actually take pity on Stiles Stilinski or anyone else Jackson's group picked on.

The thing was that Jackson never really got in the middle of it, unless it was occasionally messing with Stiles, but the whole gist of it was that Jackson never intended to hurt Stiles physically, personally Lydia thought that perhaps, and she wasn't sure about it, but Jackson probably didn't hate Stiles or anyone, he was just in that particular time of his life where he was a genuine douche.

Jackson had been through a lot, there was no doubt about it; first his parents had died before he was born, and then his adopted father died when he was twelve. Lydia chalked it up to his attitude being his way of hiding his emotions, but then again... Lydia had no room to talk, she hid her emotions all the time behind that ice queen facade.

Honestly, in Lydia's opinion Jackson probably went easier on Stiles because he was on both the Basketball and Lacrosse team, which Jackson was the best player on both. Jackson remarked once how Stiles might have had potential, if the guy didn't get worn out in a matter of four minutes from running. Lydia almost laughed at that but kept quiet as Scott stepped alongside her.

"So, what did I miss?" Scott asked looking straight ahead, catching Lydia off guard. Sometimes she swore Scott was part cat by how quiet he could be sometimes, but then again Lydia hadn't been paying that much attention in the first place.

"Not much, I think Dr. Morbius is supposed to be talking to us in a couple minutes. I hear he's going to have some lecture on bats or something, I wasn't listening."

"Okay, and I wasn't referring to that, I was wondering if they were making fun of me over what happened," Scott motioned towards Flash and the other jocks, thankfully leaving Jackson and Danny out of it, making Lydia sigh a breath of relief.

"Well, besides Jackson telling Flash to shut up, the only thing mentioned about you was a new nickname Flash was working on... what do you think of McVomit?"

"That's terrible, even for Flash. McSpew would be better, but not by much."

"McSpew? That's pretty catchy actually. Hey, where's your shadow?"

"Shadow – oh, you mean Stiles." Scott caught on, and laughed lightly scratching the back of his head with a smile. "He almost got sick himself after seeing me throw up, so he ran to the bathroom so he didn't make a scene like I did. He'll catch up in a few minutes. Speaking of Stiles, I was wondering, what's the deal between you two anyway?"

"What _deal_?" Lydia asked with a raised eyebrow and her lips pursed like she was ready to snap out on him for insulting her.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just meant, you two were neighbors as kids, Stiles told me that the two of you didn't really talk, how come?"

"So, that's what you meant? I don't know really, he just never really interested me all that much, no offense as he is your best friend. He wasn't actually weird when we were little, that happened when he developed that silly crush on me; before he could actually say more than five words without blushing or being tongue-tied, well, less tongue-tied."

"He's gotten better with it."

"I would hope so – he's been over that crush on me for a couple years now, especially since he got with Erica." Lydia could see Scott lower his head at the mention of Erica. "Right, they broke up."

"Yeah, and the thing about it is that's bothering Stiles is that she won't tell him why she broke up with him. It's eating away at him from the inside; he doesn't say a lot about it, but you can tell he's hurt."

"Well, the first break up you ever have is the hardest... at least, that's what I hear," Lydia replied with a shrug, as she had never been in a relationship other than Jackson, and they hadn't been to the point of breaking up, not a single time.

"So, what did you think of Stiles as a kid?"

"He was funny, I'll give him that... and caring. I don't know if he ever told you, but I accidentally caused him to faint."

"Wait, what did you do?"

"I crashed my bike when I was seven and I landed on a pile of rocks. Cut my knee pretty bad, and well... Stiles was, just Stiles."

* * *

 _ **2003.**_

* * *

 _Seven year old Stiles was sitting alone in the porch of his house in Queens as he wasn't able to go to Scott's house today to have a play date since his best friend was away with some family members in Washington. So Stiles was left to play with his toys alone, the brown haired boy minding his own business when one of his toys fell down the steps of the porch. Stiles bounced up to his feet and hopped down the porch steps, and he was about to bend down to pick it up but he heard a feminine laughter ring through the neighborhood catching his attention; the brunette perked his head up and was met with a beautiful strawberry blonde girl happily cycling down the street in her bright pink bicycle, perfectly matching her personality._

 _Lydia turned her head slightly to the right and glanced at Stiles' form, the strawberry blonde girl giggling as her face got a little red for the attention she was getting, as she thought the boy was kind of cute with his brown flop of hair and slightly chubby cheeks, however, when she turned her head towards Stiles, she forgot one of the most important rules when cycling: always look at where you're going._

 _Stiles was about to wave at Lydia when he suddenly saw her bicycle veer off the sidewalk towards some grass that had rocks decorating it, and the seven year old girl let out a cry as she fell of the bicycle and crashed onto the rocks that seemed to be waiting for her. Stiles' eyes widened with shock as he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, his toy long forgotten in the porch steps._

 _"Lydia! Oh my god, are you okay?!" Stiles asked frantically as he arrived to where the strawberry blonde had landed, crying on the grass clutching her bloody right knee from where the rocks had struck her._

 _Stiles came to a bouncing halt in front of her as he caught sight of Lydia's wound; his golden brown eyes widened even more than they had been as he glanced at her bleeding knee, his face turning a ghastly white. He could swear he saw something white peeking from the wound; his head started to feel lighter as black spots danced in his vision, turning Lydia's form blurry._

 _"Is, is that your bone?" Stiles stuttered out with a slur before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out collapsing in front of Lydia, who couldn't help but giggle through her tears._

* * *

 _ **Present Day.**_

* * *

"He fainted because he thought he saw a bone. It was just the way the light was reflecting off of the cut." Lydia explained, thinking to herself that Stiles was cute when he was younger, but she didn't pay any attention to Stiles presently, nor did she really want to in the appearance department.

"That does sound like Stiles; you should see him with needles, he tends to freak out over them..." Scott laughed as Lydia smiled lightly before turning towards the front.

Stiles was pushed against the wall, held up by his shirt collar as the man with the icy blue eyes growled at him, and in the dark room all he could see was a silhouette of the mystery man.

"Whoa! I'm sorry, I got lost! I swear!" Stiles squealed out in fear as he prepared for whatever punishment he might get for trespassing, but he watched as the man stood up straight and laughed.

"Jesus, grow a backbone would you? If you're going to get in trouble at least own up for what you were really trying to do. I know you were trying to get in here to find your mother's research, am I correct?" the man asked as he let go of Stiles, leaving the teenager confused.

"Wait, how do you, how could you know about that?"

"Stiles, you could stand here and ask me a whole bunch of questions about who I am, and how I know your name and who your mother is, and what you're trying to do here in the Restricted section of the lab, or you could let me help you get done here and find what you're looking for."

"You're going to help me? Why?"

"Again, with the questions..." the man sighed with a growl before adjusting his jacket. "Look, what you need to know right now is that I'm a friend of your mother's, and I want to help you, and I know where to find her research here. Okay?"

"Fine," Stiles agreed, unsure of whether he should trust this mystery man, and watched as the man in the black leather jacket began walking ahead of him.

"Come on, it's this way."

"So, you're a friend of my mother's?"

"Yeah, at least... that's what I considered myself to be. She was there for me when I was in a bad spot, and she helped me get back to where I used to be. I owe her my life, but since she's gone, I gotta make up what I can."

Stiles nodded, wondering who this man was as they continued through the dark. "Oh, by the way... turn your phone's flashlight off. There might be people in here and you don't want them to see that light." the man advised, forcing Stiles to go completely in the dark.

He ran his fingertips along the cement wall, the cold dampness making him shiver. Somewhere ahead of him and this man was a dim, yellow light, casting shadows along the wall. Above his head, he could see pipes strung across the walls, leading towards the light.

"How long has she been dead?" the man asked after traveling down the hallway for a good twenty meters, and if the mechanical appliances didn't stop making noise, Stiles probably wouldn't have heard the question.

"She's been gone since 2004."

"How'd she pass?"

"Dementia."

"Is that what your father thinks?" There was tension in the air that was so thick you could practically cut it, and Stiles felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead, and against his better judgment he answered the man.

"No, Dad thinks something happened at her work," Stiles explained, causing the man to freeze in his spot and turn to him.

"What? Why would he think that?"

"He thinks that my mother died because of Norman Osborn." The man felt his heart skip a beat at the mention of Norman Osborn, and his hands clenched into fists as he turned away, letting his eyes glow bright blue as his canines sharpened into fangs.

 _Don't lose control right now, if Stilinski is correct and Norman had something to do with Dr. Gajos' death then I'll have to deal with it later, but I need to get Stiles' help. I'm running out of time to find her._

His fangs changed back to normal and the man sighed. They continued down the hallway to a small door labeled CS-04, and the man stopped. "It's in here."

"Thanks," Stiles said quietly, unsure of whether he should be thankful or scared right now, and watched the man open the door revealing office supplies. "What is this?"

"This is everything from your mother's office when she was working at Oscorp; they brought it here to keep it safe."

"Safe?"

"Yeah, Norman's a paranoid man, but he's smarter than you'll ever know. If you want to know who I am, and perhaps finally start to see things how they actually are, keep reading her research... and if you're trying to find her actual work... it might be down there." the man pointed to the east of him down a longer hallway that led to a large circular room with purple lighting.

Stiles nodded, turning back to the room where his mother's research was supposed to be, and when he turned around, the man was gone...

"Okay, totally not creepy... thanks for the help?" he shrugged, quickly getting into the room and shutting it behind him dropping his book bag down and got to work searching through the cabinets until he came across the third and fourth journals. He pulled them out, laying them into his book bag neatly. He found folders labeled Cross Species Genetics, pulling those into his bag as well; basically he was just getting as much as he could while he was here and hope to god he didn't get caught.

Suddenly, Stiles froze as he felt drawn towards the computer. He looked to see if it was plugged in, which miraculously it was and turned it on. After a minute waiting for it to load up, Stiles went through the files trying to find anything that might have been relevant.

 _There's so much stuff on here. I might need to use my flash drive. Guess it's a good thing that I always bring it with me to school._

He pulled the flash drive out from his pocket and placed it into the USB port, and kept searching for files. Eventually he came across Cross Species Genetics files and even Subject Zero. He opened the Subject Zero file and watched as his mother's face and voice appeared in front of him for the first time in eight years, bringing tears to his eyes.

"Hello, I am Dr. Claudia Gajos... or soon to be Dr. Claudia Stilinski. Cross Species Genetic Research, designation file Lycan... Day Seven for observation on Test Subject: Zero... Codename: Omega." Claudia's voice announced on the video as Stiles laid back in the chair, unprepared for what he was about to find out.

* * *

 **Hey guys, there is Chapter Twelve, and I hope you enjoyed. Just a heads up because next chapter is more of a flashback chapter, we decided this a few weeks ago when I updated Chapter Ten: Brothers. Now, this chapter had some things that might go against what I might have said in a chapter before and what not, but here's the deal. Oscorp in the comics was founded by Norman, but in this I wanted it to be a family legacy, therefore having Norman's father be the creator of Osborn Industries, which would be rebooted into Oscorp Industries would make things nicer for me and make things a little more diverse. Also, yes... Lydia knew Stiles as a kid, but they were not friends, just so I put that out there. Yes, it said Lydia thought Stiles was kind of cute, but you'll learn more about things as we go on, so don't lash out at me over something I said or wrote, please.**

 **Speaking of lashing out, I need to have a word with you guys, not you guys who enjoy the story, but someone who took the time to review on all of my stories as a guest and say really inappropriate things, and I'm not going to say what they were, but the fact is you made an account just so you could message me a whole bunch of crap over nothing. Here's what I have to say, plain and simple. If you don't like the story, don't read it. It's clear you don't like my writing style, I get it, no need to be a douche about it. I get that you have an opinion, but there is no need to say that I need to delete all of my stories and my account because I am trash, and don't deserve the right to touch a keyboard. That's out of line, and to anyone else, if you don't like my writing, or you don't like something, go ahead and point it out, but do not be a douche about it. There's constructive criticism and being a douche.**

 **I am not going anywhere, anytime soon. I want all of you to understand that, and I will be updating more often, as I finally have a computer that connects to the internet and I have more inspiration lately. I am working on Legend of the Speedsters, it will be updated soon, but I still have to get stuff done on it...**

* * *

 **Anywho, I do have some questions for you guys... one of which concerns the Identity Thief victim scene this chapter and a bit of last chapter.**

 **1\. Last chapter, Stiles deduced that that Identity Thief was leaving bodies in specific places to spell out the letter C. What do you think he is trying to spell out, like a person's initials? Why?**

 **2\. I might have asked this before but, what do you guys think of the whole backstory I have going on with Claudia? I mean, does it feel like it belongs with the story? Should I adjust it a bit, or what do you guys think?**

 **3\. This is a big one for me... this chapter we had a scene of Stiles and Lydia as children. I know this is a hot topic because of the whole thing where I said Stiles and Lydia are not friends or were friends at some point, but based on this scene it appears they were. I will make this clear that Stiles and Lydia were NOT friends as kids, as Lydia stated they never really talked or hung out. This is one of the few times Stiles actually talked to Lydia as a kid, and the big part of where they talked as kids was the day of Claudia's funeral. Are you guys okay with this?**

* * *

 **Until next time guys, please review and thanks.**


	14. Dr Gajos

_Chapter Thirteen: Dr. Gajos_

* * *

 _ **1995**_

* * *

 **Claudia Stilinski Video Log Entry 1:**

* * *

"Hello, I am Dr. Claudia Gajos... or soon to be Dr. Claudia Stilinski. Cross Species Genetic Research, designation file Lycan... Day Seven for observation on Test Subject: Zero... Code-name: Omega." Claudia Gajos spoke facing the camera as she adjusted the lens tilting it to where she had full range of the room. Her eyes had small bags developing underneath them from the lack of sleep she had been getting in the past few days. "Preliminary observations upon Subject Zero have shown extensive damage to auditory and visual senses, along with several burns located around his body. Subject cannot see, or hear, yet still shows that he is aware of my presence."

Claudia turned to face the young teenager on the medical bed, bandaged up. His black hair was cut almost down to his scalp, and his eyes were covered by gauze and wrapping. "Blood samples prove to be a challenge as Subject becomes hostile, having caused injuries to two of the security guards. However, once I acquired the blood sample... it's... I can't even begin to explain it. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. His cells regenerate at a higher rate than any known human, quite possibly capable of healing a cut from say, a knife... in a matter of sixty seconds."

She knelt down in front of the young man, putting her hand on his shoulder, making his head slightly turn. "Mom?" he asked, before he lowered his head once more. "No, you're not her... she's gone... they're all gone."

How Claudia wanted to help him, but she didn't have any way of helping him, at least not yet anyway. There was still the possibility of Cross Species Genetics, but overall there was no progress on it. Cross Species Genetics looked to be dying, and Claudia had no way of saving it.

"Subject's name is Derek Hale. Sixteen years old, one of the only survivors of a house fire that killed his entire family a few weeks ago. An explosion caused him to go blind and deaf. Due to his remarkable cellular regeneration, I recommended that he be put into the Lycan program. With his blood mixed into the equation, we administered a new _Lycan Serum_ into Derek's bloodstream. That was four days ago, and already the effects can seen from the small dosage. The burned tissue is healing back to its original state, and any threat of atrophy is gone because his muscles are regenerating on a molecular level. Derek appears to be making a recovery, although it is unknown whether he will regain any hearing or sight."

She had no idea what was coming...

* * *

 **Video Entry 2:**

* * *

"Okay, I'm going to take the bandages off of your eyes, is that okay?" Claudia asked carefully as Derek sat perfectly still on the bed, four days later; and now Derek could just make out what she was saying, but even then it was far too difficult for him to understand ninety-five percent of the time. As the last wrap came off, the dried blood on his eyelids cracked. As the flakes fell, Derek's eyes slowly opened

Derek could see the camera from where he was sitting in the room, and he growled lightly underneath his breath. He didn't like having any footage of him on record, especially if the people who went after his family found out he survived the fire. His family's screams echoed in the back of his head as he slowly got up from his bed. The sad part was that this metal autopsy table was supposed to be a bed. Dr. Gajos had ordered the staff to actually acquire a bed instead of the metal death platter, and for that Derek was thankful; however, he wanted to be with what family he had left. His eyesight was getting better with each passing hour, and while his sight was still blurred he could tell what the objects were that he was looking at.

Eventually he would get full clarity, and then when he could, he would search for the people responsible for the fire. The police might have said that the fire was an accident, but Derek knew better, somebody had intentionally set the fire and killed the large majority of his family, and for that Derek was going to make sure that whoever was responsible would pay.

Who was responsible for the fire though? That was what was killing Derek on the inside, not knowing who had killed his family. It was like his insides were being torn apart and reassembled in grotesque ways; nobody knew what Derek did, what his family was like, and why they might have been targeted. However, he was going to keep that to himself for the time being.

* * *

 **Video Entry 3:**

* * *

"Day Twelve... Subject Zero is making spectacular progress. All of the burn tissue is now fully healed, and even his sight is now returned. Hearing has begun to come back, but not at the rate his sight has." Claudia explained as she walked into the room where Derek was looking out the window into the concrete canyons of Manhattan. "Derek, how are you today?"

"Better..." Derek said lightly, his heart heavy from the loss of his family. "Have you heard anything about my family? Did anyone survive besides me?"

"Derek, I told you already... your uncle survived the fire, but is in a coma right now, and as for your sisters, they are safe and sound. As soon as you have made a full recovery you will be back with them as well." Derek nodded, having to keep an eye on Claudia's lips to even understand what she was saying. To him, because of the difficulty with his hearing, it almost seemed like she was speaking gibberish, but thankfully when he was younger he was taught how to read lips by his mother, Talia. "It's okay, I know it's hard right now, but believe me... by the time this is over you're going to be glad that you were here. You'll be able to live the life you always wanted Derek. Before we administered the serum, chances of living a normal life were very slim."

"Normal – normal isn't a word I would use to describe my life Doctor." Derek hissed out with malice, making Claudia's heart skip a beat. For a young man he was one of the few that genuinely terrified her, yet made her happy to be around.

"Everyone has their own idea of normal, it's just a way to get through the day and make ourselves feel like we fit in."

"What if you don't fit in, even if it seems like you do? What then?"

"Then you make the best of it. Why do you ask?"

"I... I can't tell you." Claudia nodded understanding, before walking out of the room into the observation room.

Claudia stood outside of Subject Zero's room, scratching her head lightly in wonder at the young man, knowing that for whatever reason he was hiding something, and she hoped he would have been honest with her. After a couple hours of contemplating about it, Claudia decided to leave it alone, because she was sure if Derek became used to her over the amount of time he would stay here, perhaps he might tell her on his own.

Dr. Curt Connors stepped into the observation room, the door beeping as he made his entrance, catching Claudia's attention for a few moments.

"So, how is our patient today?"

"He's recovering, but he's also in a lot of pain, physically and emotionally. Do you know why he even has those burns and injuries?"

"Yes, I am afraid I do. The Hale fire, which killed all but his Uncle Peter, whom is currently comatose in the ICU, and his older sister Laura who was fortunately not in the house when it caught fire. There's also a younger sister that is unaccounted for, a Cora Hale."

"Cora's only three years old, Curt."

"Yes, I know. Sometimes it's hard to remember just how fortunate we are. Mr. Osborn would like to have a word with you later today over Subject Zero's progress."

"Thank you for letting me know."

"Claudia, I'm just going to warn you, he's in a rather aggressive mood today."

"When is he not?"

* * *

 **Video Entry 4:**

* * *

"Day Twenty-three. Subject Zero, he's starting to have side effects from the serum. A few days after my last recording, they upped the dosage of the Lycan Serum, and now Derek appears to be becoming more aggressive towards the doctors, except for me. I manage to calm him down before anything goes too far, but Mr. Osborn is saying we need to pull the plug on Lycan... he can't do this, not when we've had so much progress. Since Derek arrived we have had a two thousand percent increase on our research, he is the catalyst that has pushed us years ahead of where we were. I do have my fears though; maybe it's just superstition or the fact I'm getting less than five hours of sleep a day, who knows... many of my colleagues believe that Derek's aggressive nature is being caused by the upcoming full moon. I do not want to fall into that realm of thought, but it does not leave my mind at the moment. Things are taking a turn though, as Derek is developing some rather interesting physical features. His strength has increased by eight hundred percent, and his senses are far beyond that of the average human being now. It is truly extraordinary, but with the strange aggression, we can't determine what this means for the foreseeable future."

Claudia jotted down Derek's vitals in her notes as Norman watched from the observation room. "How are you today Derek?"

"I'm tired, tired of sitting here doing nothing." Derek explained, blinking and without a split second to spare his arm went outward, just before Claudia collapsed as her heel snapped. He caught her before she even fell, much to Claudia's complete surprise, while Norman watched analytically from the observation room. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I should learn not to wear this kind of footwear to work." Claudia muttered lightly as she took her heels off. "Thankfully I get off in a few minutes, because of obvious reasons."

Norman pressed a button in the observation room activating an intercom in Derek's room, catching the attention of the doctor. "Dr. Gajos, would you come here please, I need to have a word with you."

"Okay, Derek... have a good night, I will check back in with you tomorrow."

"You too Dr. Gajos."

Claudia smiled before taking her leave, where Norman ran his fingers through his hair quietly with a wicked smile on his face. "What is it Mr. Osborn, are you here to say that the research on Subject Zero needs to be terminated?"

"No, I've changed my mind on that, as a matter of fact I want to see what Subject Zero can really do. I say we give him some combat training, put him into a simulator where we can see him fully unleash his abilities to their fullest."

"What do you mean by abilities?"

"He heard your heel break before you even moved, I want to see just how enhanced he really is."

* * *

 **Video Entry 5:**

* * *

The next night, Derek laid in bed as the full moon rose over Manhattan, or wherever he was. Besides the small amount of buildings he could see, there was no real telling where he actually was. He knew that he was in a place run by Norman Osborn, he knew that much... as he overheard the conversation between Dr. Gajos and Dr. Connors a few weeks earlier. As everyone suspected, they were right in their speculation about Derek.

Dr. Gajos had almost seen Derek show his true self, but thankfully he had been sedated before that had happened. For whatever reason his abilities were out of control now; whatever serum they had injected into him had enhanced his abilities, there was no doubt about it, but this new strength it added to his abilities overall had been more than what he could handle.

The truth was, Derek was a werewolf. His family was one of the greatest pack of werewolves in all of New York, until they were all killed that night during the fire. Derek had suspicions as to why his family died; they were werewolves, and any werewolf hunter would be famous for killing them, even if they didn't admit to it. He knew someone had betrayed the Hales, but Derek could not know who it was unless he was released from this building. That was why he always looked out the window anymore, dreaming of his freedom from here. It was annoying that he couldn't even leave this room, but after the stunt he pulled with those security guards that he injured, he would have himself locked up as well.

Tonight was the full moon, and Derek didn't know what was going to happen. He hoped that he wouldn't hurt anyone, but there was no way of telling. Derek felt himself starting to turn, whether that be his nails slowly extending into claws, or his teeth turning into fangs, or even his eyes turning to an icy blue. That was the part of him that he hated the most, the blue eyes.

Werewolves had rules to their eye colors, rules that meant they couldn't hide their secrets. His eyes glowed blue because it meant that he had killed an innocent person. Derek was only sixteen, so surely that meant he was a monster, right?

It was quite the opposite really, as Derek hadn't meant to harm anyone, he was just putting an end to someone's pain. He could still see her face whenever he closed his eyes, and Derek felt the guilt that overwhelmed him every night since then.

"Paige, you deserved better." he muttered under his breath, having said the love of his life's name for the first time since he had ended her life out of mercy. He could still smell her perfume every now and then, the memory still fresh.

The door to his room beeped, heralding the arrival of Dr. Gajos as she walked in, much to Derek's horror as he took cover in the bathroom from her, gaining the doctor's curiosity.

"Derek? Is everything alright?"

"Uh, yeah! Everything's fine, can I just not have any tests tonight? I just want to rest... I'm really tired." he lied through his teeth, hoping she would leave as his ears started to point, and he felt himself become overwhelmed with red hot anger.

"Derek, I have to check your vitals, especially with it being a full moon. We don't know what the effects of the Lycan Serum have actually done to you; you've recently become highly aggressive, and we need to know if it has correlation to the full moon."

"I'm fine! I'm as happy as ever! I'm not mad, why would you think I'm mad?" he stumbled over himself as he pressed himself against the door, as he watched his claws fully extend.

"Open the door... it's not going to hurt if that's what you're worried about."

"That's actually the opposite of what I'm worried about."

After a long hour of trying to get Derek to open the door, (and Derek trying not to lose control) Claudia stepped out of the room, having given up on checking his vitals. Derek slowly opened the door and stepped out, having his wolf features on full display, and at the point, he lost all control.

When morning came he found Dr. Gajos kneeling over him with a pitiful expression on her face, and all Derek could think was that she knew the truth.

"So, we have a lot to talk about."

Claudia learned the truth about who Derek actually was, and what possibly happened the night the Hale Fire started, and just like that, Claudia began wondering if Norman knew the truth. If he were to watch the video for that day, then surely he would know, but fortunately the footage for that day _mysteriously_ vanished. Claudia had kept the video for herself, and put them into a video diary that only a few select people could access. A video diary that only Derek himself would know about and be able to make access open to in the first place...

* * *

 **Video Entry 6:**

* * *

"Okay, Derek... we're going to test your abilities, see if we can get you back in control of them. Now, just do whatever you feel is comfortable, don't strain yourself, because we want you to be confident in your abilities, do you understand?" Claudia asked as she watched Derek enter a large arena in a warehouse that Oscorp owned, an area made just for Derek's testing. It was far larger and colder than Derek had expected, but he wasn't expecting an arena. He felt like he was in an action flick that was about to go horribly bad, with some kind of monster escaping, or in this case... him.

"Yes, but why am I wearing this?" Derek inquired at the strange black fiber suit he was wearing, making Claudia smile.

"It's tear resistant, we don't need your clothing getting destroyed every time you train, do we? Now, you're going to learn to fight, with and without your abilities. Now, there might be some of the doctors including myself in the observation deck up there, so give us a show, we want to know more about you and how we can help get you back in control."

"I can definitely do that. Wait, how am I going to learn to fight?"

"You'll see."

"That's totally not ominous."

It was simple at first, Derek had to face a couple robots using his claws, which wasn't as bad as he thought, because they all assumed it was the Lycan Serum's effects on him, so he could go wild. Then the robots got larger and faster, shooting lasers and everything else. Eventually Derek learned hand to hand combat after a couple months of intense training, gaining control of his abilities.

He learned to use his abilities in ways he had never even thought of. Derek could now fight blind, using only his ears to find his opponents, use sight to find weaknesses in any room or any enemy. His abilities were now his greatest weapon, and he was in complete control.

Once Norman found out about Derek's progress, he had blood drawn from the werewolf and began creating three new batches of the Lycan Serum based off of his blood.

* * *

 **Video Entry 7:**

* * *

An elevator door opened to the Oscorp Research and Development headquarters, a sprawling lab complex hundreds of feet below ground level, as Norman Osborn quickly made his way across a massive catwalk as his aide, Simkins briefed him. "General Slocum and the others have already started the inspection. Mr. Balkan and Mr. Fargas are with them."

"Why wasn't I told about this?" Norman asked with pure disgust, making Simkins flinch ever so slightly from his body language.

"I don't think they wanted you to know, sir." The two entered a work area where a strange object was mounted on a servo-pole, being worked on by technicians. It looked like an aerodynamically perfect boogie board, with upturned fins on each side, footholds carved into the wings, and a center tube that looked like a jet engine.

Next to the device was a technician wearing a lightweight, super tight fitting electronic suit. As he moved his head, arms and legs, the boogie board pivots on the pole, up, down, left bank, right bank. Watching them was the Pentagon delegation, a group of uniformed officers and several men and women in suits with Dr. Mendel Stromm, the project director. Balkan and Fargas, two exceedingly grumpy septuagenarians looked onward, Fargas looking uncomfortable in his wheelchair.

"Individual Personnel Transports are moving along splendidly." Stromm announced over the noise coming from the glider.

"I've seen your glider, that's not why I'm here." General Slocum replied, right as Norman and Simkins walked over.

"General Slocum, good to see you again. Mr. Balkan, Mr. Fargas, always a pleasure to have our board of directors pay us a visit." Norman greeted, while Slocum nodded, while still talking to the delegation.

"I want a progress report on this Lycan Serum, or in other words, this _perfect replacement_ for the super soldier serum that created Captain America."

"We tried vapor inhalation with rodent subjects; they showed an eight hundred percent increase in strength." Stromm informed him as Fargas rolled forward in his wheelchair.

"Eight hundred percent? That's excellent."

"Any side effects?" Slocum inquired, as Norman's eyes narrowed.

"In one trial, yes, the..."

"Hold up, I did not authorize a deal with the government using the Lycan Serum. It is not even close to being ready."

"Mr. Osborn, your Subject Zero is a prime example of it being ready." Fargas growled at him, but saw the look in Norman's eyes that made him cower back in his chair.

"Now, listen... we have been waiting a long time for the possibility of a new super soldier serum that could be replicated. Now, what were the side effects?"

"Violence, aggression and eventually insanity, becoming completely feral." Stromm announced, and the silence that followed sent chills down everyone's backs.

"What's your recommendation?"

"With the exception of Dr. Stromm, the teams working on the Cross Species project are working hard to make the Lycan Serum work, and it is nowhere close to being ready for human testing."

"As a matter of fact, I think we need more samples of Subject Zero's blood, to fine tune the serum. He's the perfect super soldier, and his blood is the key." Stromm smiled.

"He's still a human being, whether the serum has altered him or not, he doesn't need to be used like some guinea pig."

"Mr. Osborn, this department has missed seven consecutive delivery dates. After five and a half years of R&D the United States government has a right to expect the super-soldier you were contracted to deliver."

"I did not authorize any contract. I'm afraid that you have been tricked, General. Only I can make deals over the matter of Subject Zero, and he is not being affected for anything."

"Mr. Osborn, we can shut down your facilities if you do not want to hold up your end of the deal. We can make it to where you are blacklisted on every list the government can think of. All it takes is one order."

"These, these are quantum leaps in science, gentlemen. We are unlocking the secrets of human evolution. It's not something you can rush!"

"You have three weeks to start work on this new Lycan Serum, no matter what it takes, otherwise you can kiss Oscorp goodbye..."

Norman's eyes darkened as he watched the general step away from them, and Norman knew immediately what he had to do.

* * *

 **Video Entry 8:**

* * *

"Dr. Gajos, we need to have a word, immediately. It's about Subject Zero." Norman said grimly over the intercom in Claudia's office, in which the doctor raised an eyebrow and proceeded to the board room where the CEO was waiting. "We need to talk."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid that some threats have been made against Oscorp, and as of this point on Subject Zero cannot leave the tower, ever."

"What? I promised him he would get to live a normal life! Why would you do this?"

"I don't expect you to understand, and I get that you care about the boy, but if I have to choose between the freedom of one teenager and the livelihood of hundreds of thousands, I will choose their livelihoods."

"Oh don't give me that bull crap! I know that you just want Derek to stay here because he's your best chance at that cure for your illness!"

"How do you know about that?"

"Norman, I am the head of the Cross Species research, if you think I'm incapable of finding out your reasons for starting the project in the first place, then you really need to get some help. It's not just the threats, is it?"

"Yes, it is true he is my best chance, but there's a reason he needs to stay here. In order to get the blood samples for further testing, they need to be fresh. The only way that can happen is if there is a constant source." Norman explained as he showed Claudia a picture of a machine. "We're going to hook him up to that, and when required, we'll use him as a weapon, get him to send a message to the people who would do further harm to anyone we care about."

"Norman, this is inhumane, even for you."

"Inhumane? Inhumane! ONE CRUEL ACT..." he yelled out, but stopped and took in a deep breath before continuing. "One cruel act does not mean I am a monster. I am doing what is best for everyone. Derek may not see it the same way, or even you... but it doesn't matter, we have a job to do."

"I can't just let you do this to him, hook him up to that machine and you take away his basic rights. We strive for humanity's betterment, you said that yourself!"

"This is helping us towards that goal, Dr. Gajos..." Norman growled as he put the photo down on the table, and turned towards the window "I also know that you are telling the truth, you can't let me do this to him, but here's the thing... you can't stop me. As of right now you are no longer on the team overlooking Subject Zero."

"What?!" she asked incredulously, not able to believe Norman's actions. "I have been a part of this research since the first day we started six months ago! You can't expect me to just turn my head and leave him alone."

"Exactly, which is why for the remainder of the day you will be removed from the building, and afterwards you will not know where he is."

"Norman... don't do this."

"It's too late... as of tonight Derek Hale will never leave Oscorp Tower." Security guards walked up and pulled Claudia out of the office, whom had went deathly quiet.

After a few minutes, Claudia stepped into her office to gather her things while the security guards stood watching her every move, but they didn't see her reach for a taser...

The security guards fell to the floor, and Claudia made sure they were not injured before leaving. "Sorry boys, I don't like bodyguards."

Claudia's eyes darkened as she set out with a new goal to ensure Derek didn't suffer that fate.

* * *

 **Video Entry 9:**

* * *

Derek was sitting quietly in his room, well, his little home, since he hadn't actually been in the outside world in a long time. He was about to try to sleep, but he wasn't going to be able to complete such a task because the door of his room suddenly beeped and opened, revealing none other than a distressed Dr. Gajos, and the thing that caught Derek's attention more than her distress was the fact she wasn't carrying her notes like she always did. She had a black bag in her hand and her expression looked nervous, agitated, and distressed all in one go. The doctor quickly entered the room and glanced outside as if she was checking to see if anyone was looking, before closing the door, hitting the emergency override locking the two in for the moment, and turning to him. She hurried over to him, placing the bag in his hands.

"What's going on?" Derek asked as he noticed the peculiar stance Dr. Gajos had, almost like she was prepared to run at any moment.

"I'm giving you your freedom Derek. Put that on, you have to leave, now!" she replied, looking sternly at Derek, seeing the male's eyes widen in shock and confusion, but he started getting dressed nonetheless.

"Wait, wha-" he starts.

"There's no time for questions right now... Derek, listen to me, if you do not leave right now, you will never be able to leave this place, do you understand me?" Claudia interrupted with a firm voice, making Derek flinch slightly. Once he was fully dressed, he quickly looked down at himself; he was wearing denim blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and an all too familiar leather jacket... it pained him that it still wreaked of smoke and ashes. He still wore it with pride though, knowing that his mother had given it to him for his fifteenth birthday, not even thinking about the fact she had given it to him just a couple months before the fire occurred.

"Why are you doing this? You're going against your superiors." Derek murmurs while still looking at himself, but this time in the mirror to get a full view. His face had a five o'clock shadow forming, and his eyes glowed that icy blue that he had grown all too accustomed to. Barely a year between the night he had gained his blue eyes and the fire that took his family away. Pain was an old friend, and it wasn't leaving him just yet.

Dr. Gajos sighed, smiling lightly at him, "I don't want to break my promise to you." She looked almost heartbroken to have to do this, but there was no choice. She couldn't let anything happen to Derek.

Derek nodded, understanding, before glancing towards the door. "Come with me," he blurted out without a second of thought. He didn't really know why he said it, but he had grown fond of her, like she was a second mother to him. She was the closest thing he had to family anymore, because at this point he didn't even know if his uncle was alive, or anyone else.

Claudia smiled at him, knowing where he was coming from. Derek at heart was still just a teenager, without a family, but she knew she couldn't go with him. "Derek, I have a family of my own to go to now," she said with a tender voice, putting a hand on his shoulder. Derek took in a deep breath, not expecting to catch a whiff of the doctor's scent, and a bright smile appears on his face.

"Congratulations on the baby," Derek said, catching the doctor completely off guard, as she looked at her stomach, putting a hand on it and looking back to him, watching as his eyes glowed blue. A trail of tears ran down her face as she took a few steps forward and enveloped Derek in a tight hug, the boy not hesitating to hug back, just not very tight because of the baby, he wasn't stupid after all.

"Derek, I will always consider you as a son to me; now, you need to go, before it's too late." she parted from the hug, and hurried out of the room, but stopped quickly just as she got to the door. "Don't forget to use what they taught you."

Derek nodded, knowing she was talking about his combat training, before he zipped his jacket up halfway and went for his little amount of belongings.

* * *

 **Video Entry 10:**

* * *

He stepped in front of the dresser and to his astonishment found his two belongings were not there. "What? WHERE IS IT?!" he growled, as Derek contemplated searching for it, but he knew that he had to get going, otherwise there was going to be no escape.

Derek quickly scrambled away from his room as it locked shut behind him, forewarning him that his time was just about up. He began running in the all too familiar hallways, and as much as Dr. Gajos was thorough with her directions normally, she failed to mention where the damned exit was. Derek took wild guesses and turned in each hallway, hoping that he'd come across some stairs because he wasn't on the first floor, that was for sure.

As Derek was making his way through the building, he passed by a familiar door and halted to a stop. The sixteen year old took a quick sniff and managed to pick up a faint trail of Dr. Gajos' scent. The werewolf didn't bother to turn on the lights as he opened the doors to a storage room because with his enhanced eyesight he was able to see in the dark perfectly; he walked in the room, checking everything on the shelves until he came to a halt at one specific drawer. The smell overwhelmed him as his eyes glowed and he easily broke the drawer open with only a small fraction of his strength and smiled as he took out his uncle's watch that still smelled like him, and a family picture, the last picture he would ever get to take with them. Derek felt his eyes water a little bit at the sight of the once happy family in the picture, as the only thing that remained was a few helpless souls.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as suddenly alarms started to blare throughout the building, making the teenager flinch and cover his ears. Derek quickly packed his family's picture in his pocket and put the watch on his left wrist. The watch still worked thankfully, as he quickly ran out the door and started running towards a random direction hoping that the exit was somewhere close.

Just as he began to round the corner, Derek could make out an elevator, bringing a smile to his face. "There! Stop him!" a voice shouted moments before Derek could hear the clear sounds of footsteps rushing towards him. He turned his head around and saw about five to six guards carrying electric batons running towards him. Derek's breath hitched as he looked to where he was running and found himself about five feet from a window, and he felt like he was going to pass out as he saw the massive height they were at. They had to be over sixty stories in the air.

There was nowhere to run, and no chance of escape without a fight. Derek recalled what Dr. Gajos had told him just moments before she left, and he smiled as his wolf features formed, as he made the decision to stop running. The werewolf swirled around and let out a tremendous roar, making the guards stop out of pure fear, as Derek saw them flinch. The air was tense until one of the guards finally got the courage to charge towards him, electric baton in his hand. Derek waited for the guard to get close enough, and once that happened he struck his hand forward into the guard's chest, sending him flying into one of the walls, knocking him unconscious.

The werewolf growled as if he was saying "who's next" and unleashed his sharp and deadly claws. This time the rest of the guards came at him, weapons in hand. Due to Derek's fast reflexes he anticipated a punch and painfully twisted one guard's wrist while at the same time flinging him towards another, successfully knocking both of them out in one blow, this was just about over.

The two remaining guards looked at each other hesitantly, before both of them rushed towards Derek. Derek roared as he lunged towards them, slamming his claws into one of them, which gave the other guard enough time to electrocute the werewolf earning a pained roar. Derek slashed one of the guards, blood splattering on the wall and he broke the guard's jaw with his fist and knocked his lights out, and the other one stood up and was holding two batons now. While the guard was recuperating, the werewolf slammed into the guard, tackling him onto the ground. The werewolf continued to pound on the guard with no remorse, and if Derek didn't restrain himself, the guard would have surely died. While he wasn't looking and distracted, another guard came out of nowhere and slammed into Derek, whom was only able to take control of their fall as they both crashed into the nearby window, shattering it and the two fell down sixty stories towards the ground. Only the guard would be found, unsure of how he had survived the fall in the first place...

* * *

 **Video Entry 11:**

* * *

Claudia stood staring at the broken window with pure disbelief as Norman walked up beside her. "Do you know anything about how Subject Zero escaped?"

"Not a clue, Mr. Osborn. I left the lab yesterday just as you ordered; do you know what happened?" she asked, even though she knew very well what had happened. She had altered the video feed to where Norman would never know that she had been involved, at least he would never truly know.

"It appears that for now, the Lycan Project is at a dead end. The threats against Oscorp are being retracted as the leverage they had is now gone."

Norman Osborn smiled as he thought about the curious fact that General Slocum, Mr. Fargas, and Mr. Balkan had been killed in a _freak accident_ at a testing facility for Quest Aerospace... Shaw had come through for him... and now he had to figure out if Claudia was an ally or an enemy. As of right now, she was the enemy. Derek Hale had escaped Oscorp after being in the tower for six months, and Norman suspected he escaped thanks to Claudia Gajos... or as she would be called soon... Claudia Stilinski.


	15. The X-95

**_Quick heads up before the chapter. In case some of you were wondering about the Stydia situation in this chapter as one of the reviews pointed out. I am consistent with the manner as they were friends when they were kids to a certain manner. It's pretty much that friendship that you had when you were very little with a person that moved away a year later and you guys no longer talked, and when you see each other again years later in like High School, you two are completely different people, but you both remember that past friendship, just never acting upon that friendship due to where you two are in your groups and how long it's actually been. Number of situations occur, that kind of thing. Stiles and Lydia were friends, but not to the point you think. They are friends in the manner that they lived next door and hung out sometimes, but this was rare. Let me make that clear. Anywho, enjoy the chapter!_**

* * *

 _Chapter Fourteen: The X-95_

* * *

 _ **Present Day (2012)**_

* * *

Stiles watched as the eleventh entry ended and he had tears in his eyes as he stopped breathing for a moment, unsure of what he had seen. He opened the entry that was on the full moon, and paused as it showed the wolfed out teenager lunging against the door of his _cell_ and all he could think about was how the man that had helped him was almost the same age of the teenager in the videos. That was impossible, how could someone basically look the same as they did back in 1995? It had been seventeen years, that meant that if the man he had seen and Derek Hale in his mother's video logs were the same, then Derek Hale was thirty-three years old.

He knew that he had been wasting time, so he took whatever files were on the computer, including the video logs. There was another video log, but it was corrupted and unable to be opened, but Stiles figured he could get the video repaired with some time. After taking all the research, journals, and computer files he could store on his person, Stiles took off out of the room, and he was almost tempted to return back to the group right then, but his head turned towards that hall that went all the way to that ominous purple lighting. As much as Stiles wanted to ignore it, he began hurrying his way down the hallway with his book bag shaking violently on his back.

The word still echoed in his head as he saw the image of the wolfed out Derek every time he ran out of the light, it was like strobe lights, except it was that one singular image. Stiles couldn't believe that werewolves existed. Super-powered humans, yeah... he believed that, but the Supernatural, that was a new one.

Knowing that whatever was down here would hopefully be the key to really understanding what his mother was working on; now, granted he did know what his mother was working on, something was just eating him from the inside as the more he found out about his mother's work it suddenly started making sense over what his father always claimed, that Norman Osborn was somehow involved with her death. If Norman had been involved with Claudia's death, then Stiles would make sure that he paid, but before anything like that could ever happen, Stiles needed to know the truth, and in order to do that, he had to find out more about his mother... whether that be through a video, journal, or whatever he might find. A spider was just one part of the equation he had to solve.

Continuing towards that purple room, Stiles could almost sense pure dread inhere, but he continued onward into the room full of spiders; the spiders, Stiles noticed were all sorts of different colors. In the room itself, the purple lights actually gave a violet tint to everything. While the spiders were in strange shelves, Stiles couldn't help but notice that the room was a giant rotunda, minus the dome above. The tint made Stiles slightly sick to his stomach as he found it rather difficult to see even with the help of this nauseating light fixture.

There were cases that held spiders, all labeled with numbers and a letter. He followed the shelves around the room until he came to the X series... this was the work he had read about: The X-spiders. Stiles followed the number all the way through the room, going from 1 all the way to the end where it said 96.

The X-94 was in its respective case, a spider that was a tortilla brown,with extremely large eyes that bared into Stiles' soul, and it made him gulp in a fascinating twist of fear and intrigue. As his eyes stared into the X-94's, an energy radiated against Stiles' skin that felt like it almost knew him, but that was just silly, it was a spider, how could it know him? He noticed a button below it, and being the curious teenager he was, he pressed it.

"The X-94, the final step to perfecting the Cross Species equation we have been fumbling with for over three and a half years now." Claudia Stilinski's voice echoed from the intercom, and Stiles noticed the spider begin moving in a strange pattern, giving him the sensation that the spider was... happy.

Could that have been right, Stiles looked at the spider a second time and now he was almost certain that the animal was downright thrilled to hear Claudia's voice, although Stiles might have been imagining this.

"The X-1 all the way to X-93 were defective in the sense that the spider's venom could create the desired effect on test subjects. The X-94 is the catalyst I needed... I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. In order to create the Lycan Serum, we required a blood sample of Subject Zero in order to create the initial dosage; so, it only makes sense that we would have to do the same with these spiders... however it is not the perfection we need. It's close, but it's not all the way there. The test subjects that had the spider venom injected into their bloodstream had the spider DNA bonded to their own respective DNA... yet the outcome was not what we wanted... so it's time to keep moving forward... I'm so close... I can feel it."

Stiles listened as the intercom went silent and he turned his head towards the darkened case, and saw the label X-95... His chest tightened up as he reached up and pressed the button for its intercom.

"I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner!" Claudia's ecstatic voice echoed from the intercom, her voice full of joy and accomplishment. "I've done it! The X-95, the very thing I've been working so hard for... it's done."

He couldn't help but smile imagining her face as she spoke, and all Stiles could do was look into the spider's playground. "There's more than 32, 000 known species of spider in the world. They're in the order Aranae, which is divided into three sub-orders, Mesothelea, Othognatha, and Labidognatha. All spiders are carnivorous, ravenous eaters who feed on massive quantities of protein, in liquid form, usually the juices of their prey. Arachnids from each of the three groups possess varying strengths which help them in their constant search for food."

"For example, the jumping spider, family Salticidae, genus Salticus... the genus Salticus can leap up to forty times its body length, thanks to a proportionate muscular strength vastly greater than that of a human being."

Above Stiles on a shelf hidden was the escaped X-95 that Norman's assistant Justin never put away properly. It began moving towards the ledge, looking right down towards the human that was staring into its prison.

"The funnel web spider, family Hexathelidae, genus Atrax, one of the deadliest spiders in the world, spins an intricate, funnel-shaped web whose strands have a tensile strength proportionately equal to the type of high-tension wire used in bridge building."

Stiles could hear a metallic noise from behind him, forcing him to turn around and he could see a shadow far down the hall near the office where he had found his mother's research, and he gulped heavily. _I hope to god that this intercom isn't loud enough to where they hear it._

"The crab spider, family Thomisidae, genus Misumena, spins no web to catch its prey, but hunts instead, using a set of reflexes with nerve conduction velocities so fast some researchers believe it almost borders on precognition, an early awareness of danger, a spider sense. Over four painstaking years our research facility has fully mapped the genetic codes of each of these spiders, and armed with these DNA blueprints, we accomplished what some thought was impossible, inter-species transmutation. In other words... Cross Species Genetics."

Stiles backed up slowly as the X-95 turned to the shadow the teenager was looking towards and shot a web up to the ceiling and raced up the strand of web to a beautiful web it had created.

The thing casting the shadow was closing in on the Spider Rotunda, and Stiles knew he was about to be caught, and this was going to be, very... very bad. The metallic stomping kept getting louder and louder with each step, the thunderous noise shaking Stiles' head as he searched for cover, and found it behind the final row of shelves; with no time to lose, Stiles dived behind the shelves and tried to be as quiet as he possibly could. In that moment Stiles' glasses had come off and was lying in the X section... this was not good.

"In the Recombination Lab, we used synthesized transfer-RNA to encode an entirely new genome, combining genetic information from all three spiders into all of the X spiders, but the X-95 is our first true genetically designed super-spider, the first mankind has ever produced... the first one, I've ever produced..."

The metallic beast entered the Rotunda, and through the cracks in the shelves Stiles could see that it was a seven foot tall behemoth, and it looked like it could crush him with it's pinky finger, if it had one.

"Is that a robot?" he unknowingly asked out loud, and he watched the bot's head turn towards him, and Stiles slapped his hand over his mouth while beginning to slide further back.

"Just imagine... if one day we can isolate the strengths, powers, and immunities into human beings and transfer that DNA code among ourselves... all known diseases could be wiped out. My colleague, Dr. Curt Connors, could finally get his arm back... millions of lives could be saved. All it would take is one connection between man and spider. The venom..." Claudia's voice echoed as Stiles watched the robot move at an incredible speed that he couldn't comprehend, and its hand grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up like it was nothing.

"Hi..." he croaked out like a frog, barely able to breathe. This wasn't going to end well...

* * *

Scott turned to look through the crowd and noticed the absence of his best friend, whom he thought would be back by now. Something must have happened, unless Stiles found what he was looking for. Could he have found it?

"Where are you man?" he asked quietly, a memory of a party from two weeks ago popping into his head at the most random time.

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Ago**_

* * *

 _The two were on their way to Sarah Lincoln's house for a party over the first Basketball game of the season. Seeing as Scott and Stiles were both on the Basketball team, Scott being one of the best players, (not saying much really as he barely got to play since he had asthma) and Stiles being a substitute normally as Coach never let him get to play because there was something Coach seemed to really enjoy about making Stiles suffer during sports season. It was quite amusing really._

 _In a sense, the party was something Stiles wouldn't have enjoyed necessarily, but this was something that Stiles desperately needed, seeing as Erica had just broken up with him a few days earlier. Stiles had tried to protest saying that Erica might have been there, but Scott retorted saying that Erica didn't come to parties._

 _So, here Stiles was with Scott at a party he didn't even want to be at, and it was probably not going to end well if Stiles got drunk. Stiles was one of the stupid drunks... and he said some weird things when he was drunk. Scott had found this out the hard way the night Erica broke up with him._

 _By the time Scott and Stiles arrived at the party at Sarah Lincoln's house, it was already in full swing. Music poured from the speakers both inside and in the backyard, shaking with the bass of some random dubstep song that Stiles simply hated with a passion. The duo went around the house, straight for the backyard where they knew a majority of the action would be._

 _There wasn't nearly as much dancing as movies suggested there would be at a high school party, but plenty of drinking and chatting among the teens. They weaved their way through the crowd, searching for where the the majority of their team would be hanging out._

 _Scott put his hand in front of Stiles suddenly, catching the heartbroken teen's attention. "Hey, there's Danny!" he called over the loud music, gesturing. Stiles followed his gaze, spotting the boy hanging out around a small fire, along with several other members of the Basketball team. Stiles nodded, giving a fake grin. He took a step forward, but he then faltered, having spotted a familiar head of strawberry blonde. She was in the lap of a large, familiar boy, lips practically glued to his neck. Grimacing, Stiles patted Scott on the arm._

 _"Hey, I'll be over in a sec, do you want me to get you a drink?" he offered, trying to not show his disgust over the sight of Lydia and Jackson's make-out session._

 _"Uh, sure... Thanks." Scott gave him a grateful smile before he turned to go join Danny by the fire, but he stopped last second. "Stiles, did I mess up by bringing you here? I don't want you to get wasted like you did the other night..."_

 _"Scotty, I'm fine, really... I just need to make sure I get a drink so this music can actually be somewhat enjoyable. Dubstep sounds like something a robot listens to while having sex, and the fact I said that is ten times worse than anything I could ever hear in my life."_

 _"Thanks for putting that image in my head, I'll need to go have that erased."_

 _"Hey, it's not fun if it doesn't scar you for life." Stiles laughed, going to get the drinks while Scott joined Danny by the fire, striking up a conversation that Stiles most certainly could not hear a single word of._

 _Sighing, Stiles headed for the drinks, running a hand through his hair. He was thankful that he had longer hair finally, as he found himself feeling much more confident when he didn't look like a bowling pin every day. Honestly, Flash made jokes about Stiles looking like a bowling pin occasionally, and if Stiles hadn't been the weakling he was, and was more like those idiots, Stiles might have hit him for saying that, but alas Stiles was not one of those people. He was just Stiles, dorky... lonely Stiles. Scott McCall's shadow as he had been dubbed by many of the jocks, and sadly even by Lydia._

 _It almost shocked him to think that at one point in his life he had been somewhat friends with Lydia, more than what either of them let on._

 _You'd never know it, but once upon a time Stiles had actually been friends with Lydia Martin. Him, scrawny, dorky, and awkward Stiles had been friends with the perfect, beautiful, popular Lydia Martin. A blasphemous idea, certainly, which was why so few people knew about it. Scott barely knew about it and that was because Scott had overheard a tiny conversation between Stiles and Lydia during lunch one day going over homework they had to work on together. Now, Lydia Martin wouldn't be caught dead with the boy who was only a few rungs above outcast on the social ladder; in fact the only reason she could even be seen around him was because of the association with Scott McCall, the second best player on both the Lacrosse team and Basketball team, just behind Jackson Whittemore._

 _Things had been so different in elementary school, before things like popularity and social expectations came into play. Growing up next door to each other had meant that Stiles and Lydia were natural, immediate friends to a degree. Their mutual love of learning and reading gave them a means of bonding, and for a long time one might have said that they were something along the lines of best friends._

 _Lydia knew more about Stiles than anyone else did, except for Scott and Harry of course, but she was one of the few people that really knew him. Erica knew him quite well, but thinking about her just made him want to get drunk, and he was not going to get drunk, just yet anyway..._

 _She was the first one that even comforted Stiles the day of his mother's funeral, having come over after the funeral, when Stiles wanted to be alone, and she made it clear that wasn't going to happen. Honestly, that was probably the day that he fell for Lydia, and man did he fall hard._

 _Lydia, as far as Stiles was concerned, had always been beautiful, and he had no idea why she even hung out with him during Elementary School, but that might have been his self-deprecation talking. She was an adorable little kid when she had moved in next door to Stiles when he was three, and his father had made the point that when Stiles first seen Lydia, his first sentence about her was: "Did an angel move in next door?"_

 _So, yeah Stiles definitely had feelings for her as a kid, but if he had liked her as a kid, and she even remotely liked him, which he doubted, any chance of there being any further connection between them was ruined in the seventh grade when Lydia's mother had her placed into a private, all-girl's school, and moved. After that they saw far less of each other, and by the time High School came around and they were back in the same school together, it was like she was an entirely different person._

 _When she walked into Beacon Hills High School, she was stunning, and that made her the object of many boys' affection. Her rise in popularity had apparently convinced Lydia that hiding her intellect and fitting into the image that everyone had expected of her was far better than associating with someone as low-level and ordinary as Stiles. Most of the time she refused to even acknowledge him, and eventually Stiles respected that and stopped trying to reach out to her. Instead, he tried to move on from that childhood crush, and eventually he fell for... his ex-girlfriend that he wouldn't even think of right now._

 _After getting the drinks for him and Scott, he walked over to the fire and entered the conversation, which he found to be over the upcoming game of course._

 _Stiles lost himself in the conversation as he took a sip of his drink, and for that split second his eyes wandered over to Lydia who was now sitting in front of the fire while Jackson was off wrestling with Flash, having fun like the idiotic jock he was, although everyone knew that Jackson was a lot smarter than he would ever get credit for. It was just one of those stigmas you never lost during High School... Jackson was a jock, and that meant no matter what you were a dullard._

 _For the first time since Erica broke up with him, Stiles genuinely felt happy, and when Lydia just so happened to look at him at that same time, and gave a sweet smile to him, something that told Stiles she had actually cared about their "friendship" or whatever it was that their time hanging out was._

 _Scott looked at Stiles during that smile, and he knew right then, even if Stiles didn't want to admit it, he still liked Lydia Martin..._

* * *

 _ **Present Day.**_

* * *

Scott smiled thinking back at the memory when he looked over at Lydia, but then the question he had came back to him... where was Stiles?

He pulled his phone out, hiding it from one of the teachers and quickly a sent a message to Stiles: _Where are you?_

* * *

 **The Spider Rotunda**

* * *

His phone buzzed in his pocket, as the air was being squeezed out of him like he was a fart cushion, except he didn't make a funny noise when the air was released. He couldn't even muster a noise as he beat against the robot's arm trying to break free.

Stiles desperately clawed trying to get free from this metal maniac, as he knew his time was running out. His legs were flailing all over the place like he was one of those wacky waving inflatable tube men that you see outside of a car dealership, only thing was... it wasn't funny...

 _Let me go, please!_ Stiles internally screamed, wishing that he could have said this, and everything was starting to turn black in his peripheral vision, meaning he was about to pass out.

God, he hated passing out, as whenever he woke up it felt like he had been knocked down a slide and landed on his head, on spikes...

He was just about to lose all hope when the robot's hand suddenly was cut off of Stiles, and oil squirted against the walls like blood; the teenager fell to the ground, gasping for air as he threw the hand down.

When he looked up he could see a man with wolf features in front of him, with icy blue eyes.

"Oh man, Derek... you showed up in the nick of time." Stiles smiled as the werewolf gave a grin right back before punching the robot as hard as he could, denting the robot's chest-plate to where his fist could clearly be seen. "Yeah! Kick that robo-butt! Why did I say that? I should probably stop talking."

Stiles watched as Derek ripped the robot apart like it was nothing with his claws, oil spraying everywhere, and after multiple hits, Derek ripped the robot's head off and tossed it to Stiles.

"I think you should be more careful..." Derek called to him, making Stiles laugh lightly.

"You know, I was thinking the same thing."

"So, I take it that since you know my name that you watched the video logs?"

"Yeah... I did. I'm sorry about what happened to your family... did you ever find out what happened?"

"It's a long story kid, and you need to get back to your class before a teacher notices you're gone. I suggest you get moving. I'll be right behind you." Derek looked away, trying to find any camera in here that might have shown him and Stiles together. As Derek looked away however, the X-95 came down from its perch landing on Stiles' hood.

"Where's my glasses?" Stiles thought out loud, having forgotten where they were, and Derek suddenly was in front of him holding the thick rimmed glasses in his hand.

"Here. Now, get going Stiles. You don't want to get caught remember?"

"Right..." Stiles took off out of the Rotunda, oblivious to his stowaway in his jacket's hood.

* * *

Racing down the hallway back towards that pristine white hallway was a lot faster than when he was going towards the Rotunda it seemed as Stiles was making record time as he hurried along, trying to not get caught. He pulled his phone and saw the message from Scott, and knew that either Scott was getting worried or Stiles was officially in trouble. It was probably just Scott being worried.

As he got into that white hallway, he witnessed seven security guards run in with weapons, and immediately the color drained from the teenager's face. _Think fast, Stiles..._

"Freeze!" the guards screamed, as Stiles watched the vent he came out of open and Derek came down, and with one fluid motion, Stiles watched the guards get knocked out like it was nothing.

"You're like Jason Bourne joined the Mission Impossible team! That is awesome..."

"Shut up would you and just get over here so I can get you back in that vent so you can get back with the group?"

"Yeah, I suppose... what are you going to do?"

"Create a distraction so you don't get caught, what else would I do?"

"Why would you help me?"

"As I said, I owed my life to your mother, and because she's gone I'm obligated to help you. I'll see you around Mieczyslaw." Derek said with a grin as he lifted Stiles into the vent and disappeared without a trace.

As Stiles got back to the bathroom, it immediately came across his mind that Derek called Stiles by his real name... the only people who knew his real name was his parents, and Derek wasn't around Stiles at all when he was a kid, so that could only mean that after Derek escaped Oscorp, he watched his family sometime in the course of those years before his mother's death. So, if Derek had been watching Claudia before she had died, then why was he surprised that she had died?

* * *

Many people like to think that everything happens for a reason, right? That it might be fate that certain events happen. Like many things, love is one such occasion that can happen by chance, but even then fate can have strange timing with it. You could find your true love but it could be at the wrong time so it doesn't work out, even if they were _meant to be_.

Well, fate is real, whether anyone likes to admit it or not. The Web of Destiny is something that you can't break from, no matter what you try to do.

As Stiles rejoined the group he patted Scott on the shoulder, giving him a coy smile. "Hey, hope I didn't miss too much."

"Just three lectures from Norman, Dr. Morbius, and a really enthusiastic tour guide. Other than that you really haven't missed much. Did you find that thing?"

"Not the exact thing, but the next best. I'll show you when we get on the road. I've got something to tell you that you're not going to believe!" he chuckled, as an alarm rang throughout the building, causing Scott to give Stiles a deadpan look.

"You got caught?"

"Nope... that would be someone else..." Just as Stiles said an unholy roar echoed throughout the building as security guards began running towards the Restricted Access area.

Norman was pulled to the side as Stiles heard someone say that Subject Zero was in the building... and as Stiles suspected, that ended the tour right then and there, and they were forced to evacuate the facility. Stiles Stilinski had made a clean getaway.

* * *

"So, this is what I found..." Stiles explained showing all of the research and the journals he had snagged, and even the flash drive. "Scott, the flash drive had these videos over this Subject Zero, when you watch these you won't believe it. It's hard to even fathom!"

"Oh look at you 007..." Scott laughed. The two were enjoying the food they had stored in Scott's book bag, while Stiles was unaware the X-95 was on the back of his neck.

"Hey, don't bite..." now, Stiles was going to say something like _don't bite the hand that feeds you_ , but before he could say anything beyond bite, the X-95 bit down onto his neck, sending a surge of white hot pain through his head. "Ow!" he groaned putting his hand on his neck, rubbing the spot where the spider had bit it.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... I must have pulled a muscle in my neck or something." Stiles guessed as the X-95 fell into the hood of his jacket once more.

The bus rode towards Manhattan as Scott and Stiles talked the rest of the ride about the research Stiles had found.

With that spider bite, the intricate strings of the Web of Destiny tangled, beginning a new story.

* * *

 **Okay guys, so this is the last chapter I'm posting for a little while as this completes Episode One: Powerless for Web of Deception, and for those of you who were with me from the last version, you'll know that it's officially halfway to being where the old version was with chapters. The last version had 28 chapters, and this version has 15 so far, and we just got to the spider bite. I know that's a long time, but I figured I should make the story as best I can and going slower and filling more things out would be a lot better than just going through the motions like I used to.**

 **For those of you wondering why I don't update like I used to before, the almost everyday updates, it's not because I've lost inspiration or anything like that, it's just that I don't have as much free time to write anymore. I hate to say that but it's true. I still love to write this story, and all my other ones, but right now Ultimate Spider Chronicles is my main focus writing wise. I hope you guys understand that and what not.**

 **As for Legend of the Speedsters, I've been dwelling on the fact that I haven't written literally a single word for it in so long, and I don't even know what to write next, it's basically brought me to the conclusion that for at least, right now... I am going to discontinue it. I will announce it on that story soon enough, but until I can get the proper inspiration and the right idea like I have for this, writing Legend of the Speedsters is going to be more trouble than its actually worth. Hope you guys can all understand and sorry to let you guys down.**

 **Man... There was a lot of reviews in the past week. It went from 135 reviews to 162 reviews in a matter of one night. That's shocking, and very pleasing.**

 **So, I am glad people enjoyed the Subject Zero reveal, as I was wanting to reveal it but I hoped it wasn't too obvious.**

 **Anyway, I have some questions for you guys:**

 **1\. When I mentioned Web of Destiny, what came across your guys' mind. There's a character that'll be popping up really soon that will have a big thing about this... psychic kind of character...**

 **2\. Why does Derek not know Claudia died, if he was watching Claudia after he escaped, which is why he knew Stiles' real name. Give me your best guess, and why he still looks like he's a teenager even though it's been sixteen years?**

 **3\. Are you guys ready to learn about the Stiles and Erica story? Because some of the things very previous reviews have mentioned are involved with their story, so... let me know.**

* * *

 ** _ANNOUNCEMENT: If you guys can hit 200 reviews in the next couple updates, for that accomplishment, I will have three chapters posted for that occasion! Please review and until next time guys, I'll see you later._**


	16. Metamorphosis

_**Longest chapter of the book so far... it's a longer read than normal so be ready guys!**_

* * *

 ** _EPISODE TWO: CROSS SPECIES_**

* * *

 _Chapter Fifteen: Metamorphosis_

* * *

 _The story behind the masked vigilante known as Spider-Man did, indeed... start small, with a spider. However, as all stories, it is riddled with other interconnecting stories, creating something far larger than anyone can ever possibly hope to fully understand..._

 _A journal was what started the domino effect that would forever change my life. I knew more about my mother a week ago than I do now... I don't even feel like I knew her at all. When I found that journal, everything I believed was suddenly put into question. If I didn't know my own mother, who's to say that Norman Osborn wasn't responsible for her death? I wanted my gut instinct to be wrong, but after reading that journal, and continuing deeper into that rabbit hole, I find myself slowly realizing in this horrible, excruciating way that not only was my father probably right, but I told him he was wrong..._

 _Some may say I went to_ _Oscorp_ _with the goal of getting some kind of closure over my mother's death, maybe to find my own peace with it... but that would be wrong. I went there to find out the truth. There's so much I don't know about her, and I need to know; it's not even about her that bothers me. It's the fact I was learning that my best friend's father might be the man who possibly killed my mother, and more corrupt than some of the politicians in Washington D.C._

 _Say what you want, tell me that I was just being a teenager and doing something I wasn't supposed to do... or whatever you might want to say, but it's not going to change the fact that I need to find out the truth, otherwise it's going to eat me alive to not know what happened._

 _In a matter of a few days I have learned more than I could have in two years. I've learned that my mother worked on Cross Species Genetics, a project that while it could possibly save millions of lives, is only being pursued because Norman Osborn is dying from Retroviral Dysplasia, a degenerative disease that is literally rotting him from the inside._

 _A young man by the name of Derek Hale was brought to_ _Oscorp_ _and put into the Cross Species program in a section called the_ _Lycan_ _Project, and given the codename Subject Zero. He was treated for severe burns, and the loss of his sight and hearing. Using his blood to create the_ _Lycan_ _Serum, they administered it to him, and miraculously Derek started healing._

 _Not only did he heal, he improved. Everything about him, his strength, his senses, his physique... it improved. However, his anger did not... it got worse. They assumed it was merely a side effect from the_ _Lycan_ _Serum, but it turns out Derek Hale was a werewolf, and the serum enhanced his abilities to where he couldn't control himself._

 _When my mother found out, she sought to help him get control back and make sure he could live a normal life._ _Oscorp_ _had other plans... they taught him how to fight, how to hunt like a wolf... they made him into a killing machine, and when he was no longer able to be a puppet, they planned on making him be a slave... by hooking him up to a machine where they could extract his blood on a regular basis and create newer, more potent versions of the_ _Lycan_ _Serum. My mother found out about this, and took it upon herself to make sure Derek was not subjected to that fate._

 _Derek escaped, but because of it... my mother may have been killed. I don't know the truth yet, but I'm going to find out, and whatever I got from the Restricted Access area in the Hempstead facility is going to help me find it._

 _However, that turned out to be the least of my worries... as while_ _Oscorp_ _had created the new and improved Derek Hale... they had just created something new and vastly improved... they created the new me..._

* * *

 ** _A Few Hours Later_**

* * *

 ** _Queens, New York_**

* * *

After that fiasco at the Hempstead facility, Harry had personally been driven back to Manhattan by his father and their butler Bernard. Jackson had decided to ride back to the city on the school bus with Lydia being the "protective boyfriend" that he was, which Harry nearly scoffed at. Norman was wiping the sweat from his forehead as Harry would quickly take a glance at his father every now and then, trying to figure his father out. Norman was an enigma that not a single person could figure out, and the only one who might have known in all honesty was Harry's deceased mother, Emily. She was the one that had kept Norman in check before Harry was born, and after she passed Harry thought he most likely didn't go too far with any one venture was because of his devotion to Emily.

Harry had heard the sayings about how you never forget your first love, or the one love that you lost... and if that was ever going to be true, that had to be his father. Norman had never gotten over Emily's death, not fully anyway.

He almost laughed as he realized that was something Stiles and Norman had in common; they both hadn't fully gotten over the death of a woman they loved. Stiles had lost his mother, and Norman had lost his wife.

In truth, they would never fully get over their loss, but they would have to eventually move on. Norman had to a degree, but Harry still had this feeling that Norman was hiding something about his intentions, but when did he ever say anything that involved his personal time to Harry?

So, there Harry Osborn sat, ever so silent in the chauffeur-driven Bentley as it rounded the corner pulling up towards the school, his father sitting beside him. Out of the _Golden Trio_ that was Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, and Harry himself, Harry was the oldest as he was seventeen years old.

His father was always judgmental when it came to his friends, believing that Harry could do far better, but Harry felt like he was normal and not some big-wig's son as everyone else saw him as.

"Dad, could you drive around the corner?" Harry asked gingerly, trying to not upset his father as the events of the day had already strained him. The dark bags under his eyes was just one sign of it, him being tired.

"Why? The door's right here."

"These are public school kids. I'm not showing up to school in a Bentley. Jackson can for all I care, but please let me off around the corner?" Harry sighed, not wanting to even hear any protest from his father.

"What? You want me to trade in my car for a Jetta because you flunked out of every private school I sent you to?"

"Those weren't for me! I told you that, it just wasn't me."

"Of course it was! Don't ever be ashamed of who you are... if this is because of the fiasco at the facility today I'm sorry..."

"Dad, I'm not ashamed, I'm just not what you..." Harry stopped himself right now, knowing that if he said anymore might have been too much.

"What, Harry?"

"Nothing, Dad..." he let out, defeated. Harry couldn't bear to give his father anymore grief than what he felt every day. After Emily, Harry's mother passed away, Norman was a lonely soul, yet he still exuded power and anger, a trait that Harry was slowly acquiring himself.

In truth, Harry was afraid of disappointing his father, knowing that he wasn't what Norman wanted him to be. It was a sad truth Harry had found out a long time ago, when he was ten and entered his father's study when he was away on a business trip, leaving Harry with Bernard, their butler.

Harry saw the emails about how Norman felt, and it broke his heart, yet what broke him more was finding out about Norman's condition.

Yes, Harry knew his father was sick, and even hiding it from him. It wasn't his place to say anything either, because if Norman Osborn of all people didn't want you knowing something, you better not say a single word about it because there would be hell to pay otherwise.

That was why whenever his father was out of his study, Harry made sure to hide all of the emails behind Norman's personal encryption that Jackson couldn't get through. Jackson had done his fair share of snooping, and if he found out about Norman's illness, then everyone would know.

Harry didn't want his father to get any media attention that might cause him problems, so from the shadows Harry would try to help when he could, but there was only so much a seventeen year old disappointment could do for his father.

He almost let out a sigh, but managed to hold it in as he looked to see a small smile form on his father's face, telling Harry for the moment everything was okay... and he was alright with that.

* * *

Indeed, it might have appeared to be okay, however that was not the case as Norman Osborn's mind was racing full of thoughts that made his blood boil...

Norman was furious, knowing that Subject Zero had shown up to the Hempstead facility, and not only injured multiple guards, but it destroyed Allistaire Smythe's prototype hunter bot which was supposed to be the first step in replacing law enforcement in gunfights. This was supposed to not only save lives, but reduce hospital costs all around.

Subject Zero was one of the few people that truly got under his skin; after his escape in 1995, Norman had been searching nonstop for the Cross Species, or whatever he was... Norman still had a suspicion that Subject Zero wasn't even a Cross Species, but a werewolf, an actual werewolf.

Now, many would believe that he was out of his mind for even believing such a thing, but Norman had heard from Claudia Stilinski herself that something wasn't right with Derek's vitals, as even before the serum was administered Derek was far beyond the expectations of a human at peak conditioning.

Yet, when he looked at his son, he saw through that facade Harry was trying to put on, and Norman frowned. Harsh as Norman was, he didn't want his son to feel like he couldn't rely on him to be there for Harry.

"Harry, if you feel the need to hide something from me, I'm sorry. I should never make you feel like you can't tell me anything."

"Dad, it's not like that... don't worry about it." Harry replied while the car came to a stop, and he quickly went to get the door, but his father had already beaten him to it.

"You're my son, Harry... it's my job to worry about you. I may not be the best father, but I am trying to give you the life you deserve."

"If that's how you feel, then you'd try to understand my feelings about why I don't want to be seen in a Bentley."

"We'll see. Now, I need to go to the Tower, and I'll see you tonight. Tell Margaret to save me a spot at the table."

"Of course, Dad. I'll see you later."

"Love you, son."

"Love you too, Dad." Harry smiled, before getting out of the car with his book bag leaving Norman to sit there and watch from the window as Harry walked towards the school, and Norman's smile slowly turned into a snarl as the Bentley drove off; Norman let his facade disappear as his anger came to the surface and he reached for his phone.

"Shaw, it's me. I think it's time for a face to face chat." Norman said wiping his face from where the cut he received today was bleeding still. "Subject Zero has resurfaced..."

* * *

 ** _A Few Hours Earlier._**

* * *

 ** _Oscorp's_ _Hempstead Facility_**

* * *

 _Norman looked at the crowd as the tour guide spoke with joy about the great tasks_ _Oscorp_ _was undertaking at this facility and the other research facilities they had in Manhattan. This was turning out to be one of the best days Norman has had in years. The students were all attentive and willing to learn about the work_ _Oscorp_ _did, and the best part was that for once in his life, his son... actually seemed interested._

 _This was what he wanted out of life, for his son... the only flesh and blood left in the Osborn name, to take his place at_ _Oscorp_ _as the next CEO. However, this was not something he would think about lightly, as he also now had another son, not by blood, but by marriage. By all means, Jackson was also an heir to the_ _Oscorp_ _legacy. For the first time in a long time, Norman was genuinely happy, something he didn't experience very often._

 _"Hey, Norman." Jackson called as he walked up to him as the tour stepped into the nano-bot lab, where_ _Allistaire_ _Smythe would be giving the official tour of that area._

 _"Jackson, I hope you are finding this to be educational and enlightening on what being a part of the_ _Oscorp_ _family is all about."_

 _"I am, personally I wanted to ask you a question since we're right here... Have you reached a decision yet?"_

 _"Oh, I have. I've spoken to Ms. Martin and as you said, she is a very bright young woman with a bright future ahead of her. I think she would be a perfect addition to our personnel." Norman announced with a smile, as Jackson looked at him giving the most grateful smile he could have ever mustered._

 _"Are you serious... so that's a yes?"_

 _"I will give her a job interning at_ _Oscorp_ _Tower; normally I would not do this, as you know the Tower is not a place any worker gets in without being there for years. The fact I am giving Ms. Martin the opportunity to even be in the Tower should you how lucky she really is."_

 _"Who is she going to work under?"_

 _"She'll be working under the tutelage of Dr. Connors. I will trust that you will inform her tonight? Tomorrow I will speak with her on when her first day is. You're welcome Jackson."_

 _"Thank you D..." Jackson nearly said something at the end, catching Norman's eye, and he felt something, almost hopeful._

 _"Jackson, is there something else you want to say?"_

 _"No, uh... I just wanted to tell you that you won't regret this, I promise."_

 _"Of course, if you trust her, I will too." Norman put his hand on Jackson's shoulder, and for the moment almost contemplated telling him the truth about his condition, but he stopped himself, knowing that if he told anyone, it had to be Harry. "You better get back with the group, I'm sure you'd enjoy the nano-bot lab."_

 _"Okay, I'll see you in a bit." Jackson nodded before going into the nano-bot lab as Norman's stomach churned in pain. It was that time of the day again and Norman entered the nearby bathroom, looking in the mirror right before he spit out blood onto the porcelain sink._

 _He was running out of time. Four months was not a lot of time to live... and he had yet to finish what he had set out to accomplish. His legacy was not ensured yet, and he needed to decide on who would run the company after his death._

 _Wiping his lip, he could see that ever so familiar crimson red liquid staining his skin, and the specks of black in it. His stomach's pain was almost crippling as Norman's hand shook while he reached for his pocket to pull out the pill container. These pills were the only thing that kept him from being revealed. It took a few minutes to take effect, but it kept him from being found out, and for that Norman would suffer through whatever pain he had to in order to keep this a secret._

 _He placed the pill in his mouth and took in a drink of water before swallowing it. Gasping for air, Norman was suffering the equivalent of a panic attack. Norman had panic attacks when he was far younger, back when he was a teenager, as he had to suffer through his mother's death and suffered the attacks during school hours._

 _He had long gotten over it, but he knew the pain that came with it. Norman eventually regained control of his breathing as the pill took effect after an agonizing five minutes, and he washed the blood off of his hand and face, before stumbling his way towards the door._

 _By the time he had just stepped out of the bathroom, and steadied himself, Stiles Stilinski dropped out of the vent._

 _Norman fixed his tie as the tour came back out from the nano-bot lab and his eyes landed on the son of Claudia Stilinski as he stopped shuffling in the group alongside of Scott McCall. He hadn't even seen Stiles since before McCall had his accident earlier._

 _Where has he been?_ _Norman wondered, but also thought that perhaps he just hadn't noticed the young man due to other matters._

 _The moment he took his eyes off of Stiles the alarm rang out throughout the facility making his heart skip a beat and a worker ran over to him, pulling him to the side._

 _"What's the matter?" Norman asked with anger in his voice, but laced with a hint of worry._

 _"Sir, it's Subject Zero. He's here..." the worker announced, and immediately Norman's eyes grew wide before he evacuated the students, and hurrying to the area where Subject Zero was supposed to be at._

 _The door to the Restricted Access was dented beyond comprehension and just beyond it Norman could see the man's icy blue eyes on the other side. If not for the door Norman would be within inches of him._

 _"Hello, Norman." Subject Zero smiled at him maliciously. "Long time no see... how's everything going?"_

 _"You have some nerve coming here."_

 _"Well, why not? I can't drop by and say hello? That's kind of heartbreaking Norman, I thought our relationship was deeper than that."_

 _"Our_ _relationship_ _, was based on the progress of science. You are merely a tool for that progression, a tool that escaped."_

 _"Ah, you wound me. Too bad I heal far faster than you can injure me. You created something you can't control Norman, and that makes you scared, doesn't it?" Subject Zero asked, his voice fogging the glass up, to where just his eyes could be seen... those menacing blue eyes._

 _"I am not afraid of the likes of you."_

 _"You say one thing, yet your heartbeat says another. You can lie to everyone else, but you can't lie to me Norman. I'm going to get her, you know this, and when I do... you're going to pay."_

 _"You won't get her... you are just one man, a man with superhuman abilities, but even you have limits. One person no matter how fast they are, cannot fight a battle from two fronts."_

 _"Who said I'm fighting a battle by myself?"_

 _Norman watched as Subject Zero disappeared, and the CEO was evacuated himself out of the building, as the sinister roars of Subject Zero could be heard throughout the facility..._

* * *

 ** _Now._**

* * *

 **Midtown High School**

* * *

 ** _Queens, New York_**

* * *

Stiles cracked his neck as he got off the bus with Scott and began walking towards the school's parking lot. His neck was still bothering him after the sting he had felt, having not known the spider had bitten him.

"Well, today's been pretty interesting, hasn't it?" Scott asked with a smile as Stiles ran his hand through his hair laughing lightly.

"It's been something." he replied, taking in a deep breath. He felt drained, like all of the energy in his body had been sucked out of his body in a matter of a couple seconds. It didn't seem like it was possible, but Stiles almost felt like he was about to pass out. He was fighting it, but he didn't know how long he was going to be able to keep going. "Hey, you don't happen to have my skateboard in the back of your car, do you?"

"Oh, yeah. I was going to drop it by yesterday but I forgot to," Scott chuckled. "I'll unlock the trunk."

"Thanks. I think I'm going to ride it home," Stiles admitted, believing that perhaps he could get some energy from riding, after all... he had managed to do it before.

"You sure? I could give you a ride home if you want."

"I'm fine, I just want to clear my head. Finding all of this stuff out today has kind of been hard to digest, so I'll just take my time getting home. Dad will be at work anyway by the time I get home anyway. I hate being alone in the house. It's depressing."

"Oh, okay." Scott replied, sounding content as he unlocked the trunk to the car as they reached the black Pontiac that belonged to Scott's mom. "I think I'll have to start riding my bike to school soon. Mom said she's going to need to start using the car in a few days and won't let me use the car anymore."

"Wait, why is she not letting you use the car anymore?"

"She's on call now. Apparently the hospital is short-staffed with the injuries coming from those bank robberies."

"Oh, once I get my jeep back from the shop I'll drive you to school," Stiles offered, to which Scott nodded as he opened the trunk and tossed the skateboard to Stiles. The storm was right above them, threatening to rain down any second. It was kind of a miracle it hadn't hit them on their way back from Hempstead, but somehow it didn't.

 _Riding my skateboard looks a little less fun now... oh well._

"Okay, I'll see you later then, Harry and I are going to the library to study. I'm failing like three classes right now."

"Scott, it would help if you actually studied and didn't joke around for the entire time."

"I'll have you know I do study."

"Really, and yet you're failing three classes? Scott, I know you. If you studied you wouldn't be failing, so either you need to find something to keep you actually focused, or as much as I hate to say it, study with someone else."

"Stiles, that's why I'm studying with Harry... he actually tries."

"Who were you studying with before?"

"Nobody. That's why I'm failing. I just procrastinated a lot, I suppose."

"Oh." Stiles said, imagining the classic glass shattering effect cartoons love to use so much, and he laughed lightly. "Sorry man, I guess I haven't been paying that much attention lately."

"I know, you haven't really been paying attention to that much ever since, well... you know." Scott was implying the break up with Erica, to which Stiles nodded. "You're starting to get there now, just don't shut people out, you can't do everything on your own Stiles, even superheroes need help sometimes."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not a superhero, isn't it?"

"Personally, I think you'd make a great superhero. Maybe not at the level of like Iron Man, but I think you could do great things if you were in fact a superhero."

"Eh, maybe. Hopefully we never have to find out. I would literally be the worst superhero ever; 'hey Stiles, what's your power,' well I'm glad you asked, sir... my astounding superpower is Sarcasm!" Stiles threw his arms up in the air like he was going to shoot lightning out of his hands, and just looked at Scott. "See, I'm 147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bone... Sarcasm is my only defense."

"That's why you buy a baseball bat."

"Scott, do either of us even play baseball? Why would we have a baseball bat?"

"Stiles, we live in a world with people that shoot lasers out of their eyes and guys who can turn into ice... is having a baseball bat while never having played baseball all that weird?"

"Yeah, you're right. I better get going, it looks like it's about to start coming down."

"See ya," Scott waved goodbye as he shut the trunk and watched as Stiles took off on his skateboard putting up his hood, and coincidentally as Scott shut the trunk he could hear the loud crackle of thunder.

* * *

The cool air hitting his face, and that rejuvenating sense of freedom was what Stiles loved about skateboarding. It was one of the few things that he genuinely enjoyed that wasn't involving photography (his guilty-pleasure hobby), television, and his mentally straining work on his mother's equations in her lab. Stiles Stilinski was not someone that got to go to a bunch of parties, in fact that was quite the opposite. He never got to go to any parties, in fact the only reason he had gone with Scott to that party at Sarah Lincoln's place two weeks ago was because of the whole breakup with Erica, and the best part about it was that Scott had to make sure they knew Stiles was on the Basketball team, as apparently being a Benchwarmer was not cool enough for those guys.

He had rode about four blocks north of Midtown High, away from his house, and he didn't know why. Stiles didn't want to go home, but he also didn't want to get drenched in the rain. Speaking of which, the rain was pouring down on him right now. His hair drooped down just above his eyes, and Stiles decided to stop moving as he came upon the edge of the mainland, and looked out towards the skyline of Manhattan.

Stiles loved living right near Manhattan, but he had plans on moving into the city once he graduated from High School; he didn't want to move out from his house and leave his father alone, but he knew if he didn't his father would eventually make this whole speech about how Stiles needed to go experience the world in a way he could never experience while living with his father. That was just some excuse Stiles made to make him feel better about the whole idea that he would be moving out in a couple years, but it didn't work.

As he turned away from the water, his eyes fell upon a child and his mother walking towards a restaurant, and a small smile appeared on his face as he heard the child's laughter and hearing his declaration that he loved his mommy with all of his heart, saying that she would be with him forever and ever.

"I thought that too, buddy..." Stiles muttered to himself as he put his skateboard back down on the ground and rode off towards home.

Having rode about five blocks, Stiles decided to cut through an alley to catch the subway home so he could have some safety from the rain, when he became light-headed and his body felt drained, like he had no energy left at all in his system, and fell off his skateboard into the alley, his face planting into a bag of garbage which broke upon contact, and when he lifted his face Stiles pulled a banana peel off of his face.

"Ugh," he grunted as he looked up towards the street, and watched as the road went strangely from blurry to clear all at once, going back and forth, almost like a camera adjusting. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes trying to see if he had something in his eye, but his problem was not fixed.

 _Did I hit my head harder than I thought?_ he wondered as he tried getting to his feet, but collapsed right back down, and his head started hurting intensely, like his brain was trying to crawl out of his skull, and he gripped the sides of his head, closing his eyes tightly.

"AH!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, the pain having been too much to keep silent, and when Stiles opened his eyes somehow, his eyesight cleared and zoomed in up the wall to a spider web, with a spider looking down towards him. "What's happening to me?" Stiles asked himself as he unconsciously stumbled to his feet.

 _"The X-95, the very thing I've been working so hard for... it's done..."_

His eyes turned towards the street as he placed his glasses in his book bag, and picked his skateboard up in his right hand. _"There's more than 32, 000 known species of spider in the world. They're in the order Aranae, which is divided into three sub-orders, Mesothelea, Othognatha, and Labidognatha. All spiders are carnivorous, ravenous eaters who feed on massive quantities of protein, in liquid form, usually the juices of their prey. Arachnids from each of the three groups possess varying strengths which help them in their constant search for food."_

Stiles wasn't even thinking as he began running at the fastest speed he had ever run. This was faster than anyone on the Lacrosse and Basketball team ever ran, as Stiles charged into the street, and jumped over a car with ease, like it was just a simple step. _"For example, the jumping spider, family Salticidae, genus Salticus... the genus Salticus can leap up to forty times its body length, thanks to a proportionate muscular strength vastly greater than that of a human being."_

Stiles landed on his feet with grace as he turned the corner, spinning around a light pole with one hand, looking towards the subway entrance.

He raced into the subway and stood tapping his foot as he waited for a train to arrive. Once the train arrived, Stiles got in there and passed out right then and there...

* * *

 ** _Unknown Location_**

* * *

The elderly blind woman in the wheelchair smiled lightly as she laid back, tapping her fingers on the arms.

"So, it's begun... destiny has dire plans for you Mr. Stilinski..." she muttered lowly as behind her the web like pipes etched off of the chair stretching across the room. "Your story started small, with a spider. Yesterday you were, what was it... 147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bones, yet today... you are no longer that. You are changing, becoming something much more."

Yes, the woman was blind, but she could still see. She could not walk, but she could still move... while she was limited to her wheelchair, her physical limitations allowed her mind to tap into its mystical potential giving her mental powers... she was a clairvoyant.

Her fingers still fidgeted against the arms of the wheelchair as she took in a deep breath.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Mieczyslaw."

* * *

 ** _Queens Subway_**

* * *

The stench of beer would have been enough to make a cockroach run away as the man leaned back with the freshly opened bottle of Budweiser in his left hand, scratching the stubble on his face with the other, looking at the sleeping teenager across from him.

He was a man in his late forties who had been through a lot as his gray and white hair gave it away, and hadn't been in a stable relationship in years. In fact, the only stable relationship he had ever had was with beer, and that was a scandalous love affair.

As Stiles slept across the side of the compartment using his book bag as a pillow, soaked from the rain and his own sweat, the man got up and looked at his bottle, noticing a sweet spot to put it.

The lights flashed as the train moved throughout the tunnel, making the train go pitch black for mere seconds, and if Stiles were awake and saw the look on this man's face as it went in and out of the light, he probably would have had a heart attack by how utterly creepy it was.

He had a disturbing smile on his face as he bent over towards Stiles with one simple task that a blind pigeon could accomplish, but for this poor wasted excuse of a man, this was going to be a challenge. He was going to use Stiles' forehead as a place to put his beer.

Kneeling down, he began to place the bottle upon Stiles' head, the base of it ever so gently touching his forehead. Stiles' fists clenched in his sleep as if he knew he was being used for someone's stupid gain... and it didn't matter if he woke up, because he would never find out what that gain was.

As the man let go once the bottle was perfectly resting upon Stiles' forehead, the condensation forming on the outside of the bottle began trickling down the side. A tiny, single drop slid down onto Stiles' forehead, and the exact moment it touch him, the teenager's eyes burst open, closing in on the bottle.

His hands moved like lightning, using both of them to throw the bottle into the air, as his body flew forward, his feet pushing off of the bench...

When he threw the bottle, the lights went out... yet when they came back on, Stiles was not on the floor, but he was on the ceiling of the train compartment. The only thing wrong with that idea was that Stiles was clinging to it.

Stiles looked at his hands and then ahead, his hair becoming a spectacular level of dishevelment that only he could achieve. The crowd in the compartment, about ten people, two being women stared at him with shock as they backed up.

"What the..." the gray haired man asked as he wiped his face, wondering if he was so drunk he was hallucinating this, yet he wasn't. Stiles looked back at his hands at which time he fell onto the floor, grunting as he landed on his back.

One of the women, a dark haired lady was holding her shirt out which was soaked from the beer Stiles had unknowingly thrown and in turn spilled on her.

"Disgusting, now I smell like beer..." she hissed as Stiles got to feet and walked up to her, putting his hand on her shoulder, trying to apologize.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that," he apologized, trying to pull his hand away, but he watched in confusion as the woman's shirt clung to his hand making the woman look at him and then his hand. He pulled once more, but it still clung onto him for dear life. Stiles kind of laughed knowing he was in trouble. "Uh,"

The gray haired drunk that put the beer bottle on Stiles walked over and looked at the woman, then at Stiles with malice. "Get your hand off of her."

"I'm trying, I can't." Stiles tried explaining as he lightly pulled back and watched as the shirt started to pull with him. The man didn't wait to ask twice, pushing Stiles back, which turned out to be a very, very bad idea.

As Stiles' hand was stuck to the woman's shirt, when he was thrown back, he inadvertently took her shirt with him, revealing the woman's extremely toned torso, and Stiles tried not to look at her bra which really complemented her, but he opened his mouth in shock and looked away, embarrassed over what he had just done.

The other eight men in the compartment with Stiles laughed, while the drunk just freaked out before going to punch the teenager, but Stiles' eyes grew wide, somehow knowing that he was about to be punched even though he didn't see it coming...

 _"The crab spider, family Thomisidae, genus Misumena, spins no web to catch its prey, but hunts instead, using a set of reflexes with nerve conduction velocities so fast some researchers believe it almost borders on precognition, an early awareness of danger, a_ _spider sense._ _"_

Stiles didn't even think as he pushed himself off of the ground, flying over the drunk, and planted his feet into his upper back, sending him flying like he was made of practically nothing. As Stiles landed, the drunk landed onto the metal seat, injuring his thigh, making him fall to the floor.

"Aw, dude! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" Stiles threw his hands out as another man came up from behind with his fists up, and once again Stiles suddenly reacted without knowing it as he felt a tingling sensation in his head, and he jumped up, kicking his legs backward, hitting the man in his face, knocking him down. Stiles slid down the pole, with his hand stuck to it, which he had no idea as to how that happened, and the largest of the group got up moving towards Stiles with the intention of grabbing him by the back of his shirt, but Stiles kicked the man, creating a domino effect as he fell into another passenger that was wearing a brown beanie.

Stiles flipped to his feet, as he saw his skateboard on the floor, with a tall black man looking down at it as well.

"Oh no man, not the board... Please!" Stiles pleaded, as the passenger grabbed it, swinging it at the teenager's face, to which Stiles threw his left arm up to block it, the board breaking in half upon contact. The passenger looked in shock for a moment before going to grab him, but before he could even react, Stiles used his left arm to grab the passenger by the back of the head, slamming him into the pole.

Jumping into the air, Stiles slammed his knee into the man's back, rendering him unconscious, but as he did this, the pull he created with his right arm that was still connected to the pole caused it to become dislodged, ripping free as Stiles steadied himself as he landed once more.

His arm stopped moving, but the pole did not, sending the other passengers to the ground, except the two women who were in the very back, as the drunk came up from behind, as Stiles lifted the pole up in the back, hurting the dude to where Stiles was sure of one thing... no more children.

"Oh dude, I could feel that one." Stiles whispered to himself, sighing heavily, and knowing the pain he was in, he didn't help matters by accidentally hitting him with the pole knocking him out.

Stiles looked around the compartment seeing the injured men and the scared women as the pole suddenly dropped to the ground, right as the train stopped and opened its doors.

He quickly grabbed his bag, along with the broken board, and said sorry one last time before running out, not wanting to be there when the cops arrived if they did.

 _What the hell was that?_

* * *

His head was pounding as he got home, having been gone for more than three hours since he had left the school, having lost track of time. Stiles had no idea what even happened on that train, for all he knew he imagined it, but the broken board told me him that it was in fact real, and that scared Stiles.

If not for the rain it would have been apparent that Stiles was covered in a pool of sweat, stopping in the driveway as he saw his father's police cruiser was parked, meaning Stilinski was home.

Now he was going to have to explain to his father what happened to his board and why he was so late getting home. What was he going to say? _I decided to ride my skateboard and passed out in the subway, before beating the crap out of everyone on it with no trouble at all?_ Yeah, that was not going to happen.

"Oh, crap..."

Stepping into the house with a sheepish smile on his face, Stiles saw his father sitting in the living room in his chair. This would have normally been fine, if the chair wasn't facing the door.

"Hey..." Stiles greeted sounding like he belonged in Mean Girls, sounding far too feminine for anyone's liking. "How was your day?"

"Cut the crap, Stiles... where have you been?"

"Oh... after the field trip I decided to ride my skateboard for a little bit, but my board broke..." Stiles explained as he lifted the remains of his precious board up. "After that, I just walked... sorry."

"You know, you can call me for a ride if you need one."

"Dad, you were working... why would I have you go out of your way to pick me up? Your job is too important to drive me a few blocks."

"A few blocks took you three hours?" Stilinski questioned, raising his eyebrow, to which Stiles sighed.

"No, it took me an hour. I was riding and lost track of time. I went to ride by the school on my way here and my board broke." he explained hoping his father would believe him, and as much as it seemed like he didn't, Stilinski nodded letting it go.

"Okay, so can I ask you a question, and don't lie to me... were you on the subway?"

"Why?"

"There was an incident in the subway with a teenager about your age, who took out eight men using only his bare hands, and didn't even use them, know anything about that?"

"Nope, not at all." he shook his head far quicker than he probably should have, but Stilinski just shrugged.

"Alright... you would tell me if you knew something about it, right?"

"Yeah, why would I hide something from my father, who is a cop? I'm not stupid."

"You can be sometimes."

"Everyone can."

Stiles walked towards the kitchen, and Stilinski watched curiously as he saw how disoriented Stiles truly looked, so he decided to follow. Stepping into the kitchen, Stiles threw his head back as a fly flew in front of him, and caught it with only his finger and thumb, holding it in place for a second. Once he realized what he had somehow done, Stiles let it go with surprise, before getting into the fridge pulling out a container of meatloaf from Melissa McCall, a tv dinner that was waiting for him, a whole package of sliced bologna, and a few water bottles and pop, which was nearly overwhelming, but Stiles seemed to be carrying it quite well.

"What in the hell..." Stilinski began as Stiles used his mouth to open the meatloaf container and began eating the food, practically moaning with pleasure as he devoured it. "Oh my god, are you on drugs?"

"No... no, just really hungry. Did Scott's mom make this meatloaf? It's so good..."

Stilinski reached for his phone and immediately called Scott's number.

"Hello?" Scott answered on speaker phone as his mother sat down next to him in their living room.

"Hey Scott, it's John. Has Stiles been acting normal at school?"

"Yeah, as far as I know, why? What's the problem?" Scott asked as Stiles grabbed more food from the freezer and then proceeded upstairs.

"Love you, goodnight!" Stiles called as he got to his room and shut it with his foot.

"Uh, he just got home, and he doesn't look too good... and he just took like half of the fridge with him to his room... and here's the strange thing. He took your mother's meatloaf with him, praising it. Scott, your mother's meatloaf is horrible."

"Oh... so my meatloaf is horrible?" Melissa asked with shock as Stilinski's eyes grew wide as he realized he was now in trouble. "Why didn't you tell me before? I mean, how many times have I sent you guys home with my meatloaf?"

Stilinski sighed as Melissa berated him on the phone, standing at the bottom of the stairs looking towards Stiles' room.

* * *

Food containers and bottles were spread across Stiles' desk in an ungracious manner, as Stiles pulled his shirt off, having to peel it from the shirt being soaked. As he threw it to the ground, he saw a glint of something coming from his neck, so he reached up and touched whatever it, and tugged on it, to see that it was string of web. His eyes narrowed as his eyesight zoomed in on it like a camera, and as he lifted it, connected to the end was the remains of the X-95.

He gulped ever so slightly as he pulled the web more, ripping the web right off of his neck, making him wince. As he examined the spider in front of him, he realized what that sting was on his neck on the bus. This little guy had bitten him.

Stiles didn't know it was the X-95, but he figured it would be a bad idea to just dispose of the guy, so he found a jar that his mother used to preserve specimens such as spiders, and made sure that he would deal with the spider tomorrow. Taking a look in the mirror, he sighed. He was definitely a thin person, hell... he was barely able to be honored with the runner's physique. He had no muscle definition besides a little bit on his biceps, but other than that he was just plain and ordinary. He wasn't unique in his appearance, he could do exactly as Erica told him the other day... he could literally disappear and nobody would notice.

For the first time, that was something Stiles needed when he snuck into the Restricted Access area at Oscorp.

Stiles looked at his face, noticing the red, bloodshot eyes... he felt weaker than he had ever been before. His eyesight blurred and he fell backwards as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and fell onto the floor.

He barely managed to pull his blanket over him before he passed out...

* * *

 _"Metamorphosis: the biological process by which an animal or person if some of you read comic books involving superheroes physically develops, normally following birth or hatching. Like a caterpillar going into a cocoon, the transformation involves a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. How great the change depends on the animal or person. It could be a small change, or a drastic change..."_

* * *

 ** _Osborn Manor_**

* * *

Lydia's eyes were stuck to her boyfriend as he stepped into the room after having gotten both of them their dinner. Neither of them had spoken a word since they had gotten back to the manor, and in all honesty they didn't have to. They both knew what they were thinking, wondering what had happened at the lab, and why did they have to be evacuated.

Jackson sat down, placing the tray of food down beside her, smiling lightly. "So, are you sure you want to stay here tonight?"

"Why not?" she replied, and it wasn't really a question, but Jackson would treat it as one. She must have been harsh in her tone given the way Jackson looked at her, and Lydia took in a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm sure I want to stay here. Mom's not even in town anyway."

"Where is she?"

"She is currently off trying to reconcile with Dad, try to make it where he might actually want something to do with me."

"He doesn't want anything to do with you?"

"I don't know, but he hasn't even called or said anything to me in any form since the divorce started. I guess he sees the divorce as my fault." Lydia looked down, her strawberry locks covering her eyes as Jackson kissed her forehead.

"Hey, if he thinks that, who cares... he left a daughter who is a thousand times better than anything he could ever be."

"Jackson..."

"No, I mean it. If he thinks you're to blame for the divorce, then he doesn't need to even see you. If that is the case, you're better off without him in your life."

"He's my father."

"He may be the man who is your biological father, but he doesn't have to be your Dad." Jackson said, as he pulled an envelope out of his book bag which hung on the back of his chair. "I gotta tell you something too."

"What is it?"

"I spoke to Norman, and I got you a job as an intern at Oscorp Tower. That was why he wanted to speak to you the other day. Whatever you said must have really left an impression on him, because I've never seen him let anyone into the Tower without being an employee for years. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Jackson, why would you get me a job there?"

"I know you've been looking for one, and there's not a lot of places that can utilize that beautiful brain of your's, and I figured I hadn't done anything for you in the past... year, so I thought it would hopefully make up for the lack of support."

"Thank you!" she smiled brightly, hugging him tightly. "Jackson, do you even realize how much I've wanted to work at Oscorp since I was twelve?"

"I might have asked your Mom about where your dream job would be... so... it wasn't a complete shot in the dark."

"Thank you, Jackson... I love you."

"I love you too."

As they kissed, Lydia couldn't help but think about her friendship with Stiles when they were kids, and how Stiles would proclaim that working at a place like Stark Industries, Oscorp Industries, even Horizon Labs would be the best thing that could ever happen to him. She tried to remove it from her mind, but she couldn't help but think she was going to live his dream; Lydia wouldn't admit it, but sometimes she wondered if the reason she liked science as much as she did was because of her friendship with Stiles.

Could that be considered a friendship? She wondered about that, knowing how she often treated him in the past couple years ever since she saw him when they were fourteen. Stiles was one of the nicest guys she had ever known, and more often than not she treated him like dirt. Did she regret being so rude to him? Yeah, but if anyone knew that they would realize that she used to be friends with dorky, invisible, Stiles Stilinski.

Everyone called him invisible, and it made Lydia furious. All they ever talked about was how if Stiles disappeared not a single person would notice except for Scott and Harry, but the truth was that Lydia noticed every time he wasn't there in his usual seat beside her in Biology... or when she was at lunch and found him absent, as he would always sit by Scott, or even how she would see him standing at his locker every day, and she would know if he wasn't there.

Lydia might have not been friends with Stiles, but she still didn't think of him as invisible. Sometimes, she wondered if Stiles thought that they weren't friends at all, because the only time they would normally talk out of a lab was on the anniversary of his mother's death, as that was the one day he managed to talk to her for a two hour duration on end.

Honestly, if she had a chance, she would tell him the truth, about how she regretted treating him so poorly, and tell him about something that she had kept hidden for years, but had never once said to anyone except for her mother, which in hind-sight might have been a bad idea, but she never revealed it thankfully.

Lydia lightly reached for her necklace, sighing at the memory of when she had gotten it on her ninth birthday, and had worn it every day for the last seven years. Now, she has had chances to take the necklace off and put on a different one, but she would never take it off. Literally the only time she would take it off is to take a shower, but otherwise she always had it on. Jackson had questioned her about it, why she only wore that necklace, but she never really answered, just saying it was a part of a time she was holding onto, and left it at that. Just thinking about it brought a smile to her face, and while Jackson parted from their kiss and took to eating his food, Lydia decided that tomorrow, she would try to talk to Stiles.

However, for the meantime, she was going to enjoy the news that she was going to work at Oscorp... and would deal with her talk with Stiles tomorrow.

* * *

 **That Morning**

* * *

 ** _Stilinski Household_**

* * *

There was a jolt of energy that rushed through his body as Stiles' caramel brown eyes burst open at the same moment that his alarm clock buzzed. Even though he was on the floor, his arm reached up slapping the snooze button, but somehow the clock was destroyed, sending pieces of the device flying everywhere.

Stiles looked around as he laid there, having forgotten he fell onto the floor before he passed out last night. His flannel blanket was stretched across his body, snugly on him like he was a baby. He raised an eyebrow as he pushed himself up to look at his dresser to see his glasses reflecting back at him. Normally Stiles without his glasses had a slight blur to his vision, but now as he looked at his glasses, it was far clearer than normal.

Shaking it off, he reached over and grabbed the glasses pulling it close to him as he hopped to his feet with a lightness he didn't even notice. The blanket fell to the ground as he began moving towards his mirror, which was on his way to the bathroom, but stopped for a moment to look at his room.

His room was much like any other teenager's, messy, yet organized. His was clean for the most part, but most of his clutter was for his experiments he worked on when he didn't feel like being in the lab. He had a poster for the Matrix up on his wall, which was actually a good collectible, and would be worth some decent money if it stayed the way it was.

His bookshelf was full of science books and biographies about famous scientists, and Stiles had just finished reading a book concerning his problem with that adhesive formula his mother was working on before her death.

Stiles had read somewhere that Oscorp was selling a brand new bio-cable that had the equivalent strength of spider silk. He had planned on trying to acquire some to see what he could learn about that adhesive formula, but something made him think connecting both the formula and the bio-cable could have some new benefits.

He wasn't even thinking as he put his glasses on, and froze in his spot as he turned towards the mirror to see his reflection. _Something's off here_ , the teenager thought to himself as he noticed how incredibly blurry his eyesight was now that he had the glasses on. He took them off, tilting his head not unlike that of a dog, and noticed his sight clear up, before putting the glasses back on repeating. Blurry, clear, blurry, clear, blurry, clear... he did a repeat of this cycle for about five times before he looked down at his glasses and then put them down deciding that he probably needed a new prescription or something.

These were the glasses that he had worn for three years now, after an accident broke his smaller one. He was confused about why the glasses no longer worked like they were supposed to, but he would figure it out later. He was shocked by this, but he couldn't help smiling over the matter.

"Weird," he muttered lightly as he turned to head to the bathroom, when his reflection caught his attention, making him unleash this inhuman noise that was a bizarre mix between a laugh and a squeal, with a hint of a scream in the midst.

He was stunned by a couple things... the fact he had not a single trace of a pimple on his face, which he would swear on his life that there was many on him... and also something rather shocking.

"Oh. My. God..." he spoke, stunned as his eyes grew wide at the sight. "I GOT ABS! YES!" Sure, Stiles may have been a part of the Basketball and Lacrosse teams, so he naturally had a tiny bit of muscle to him, but he had literally definition. He could make out the lines that formed into abs. Stiles was almost certain that since the beginning of time itself, he never had abs... not once. "Ab-solutely amazing!" he froze and realized the horrible pun he had made, and lowered his head in shame as if someone was there to witness it. Thankfully, nobody was.

He couldn't help but stare at his body, looking at the beginning of a six pack, with the brightest smile on his face that he had ever mustered. He flexed his arms witnessing the enlarged biceps bulge, and he could see the vein pop out if he flexed hard enough, and he laughed knowing he had never seen that on his body before. Everything about his body physically had improved, and last night he had no _true_ definition at all. He was confused, before thinking about the spider bite, and he turned to look at the spider in the jar. It couldn't have been because of that spider, right? That was preposterous.

The only spider that could do that was the X-95, and the odds of that being the X-95 was one in a million chance. Stiles shrugged it off for the moment as he heard his Dad from outside the door knock.

"Son, you awake?"

"Yeah!" Stiles called as he kept admiring his reflection; he couldn't get enough of this sight.

"How are you feeling today? Last night you were kind of... strange."

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked, having forgotten about the fact he ate half of the fridge in one go last night.

"Stiles, look at your desk... you tell me." his father ordered, and Stiles turned to look at the desk and jumped at the sight of the food. He had looked at the spider, so why did he not notice the food containers as well? "I think if the fridge was portable you would have taken it with you."

"Sorry, I'll get groceries tomorrow. That's when I get the jeep back."

"I'm not worried about it, Stiles. So, are you feeling better today? Any changes?"

"Changes? Yep, big changes." Stiles replied with a smile flexing one more time just to leave the image in his head. He had a good feeling about today.

* * *

Stiles walked towards his bathroom, whistling a random song, not a care in the world as the rational part of his brain had been momentarily pushed back by the excitement of having abs, he didn't go to the rational part of himself to question how, considering it was physically impossible for that to happen without exercise, much less overnight.

After having taken his shower, he blindly reached through the shower curtain to grab the towel, however, his hand somehow got caught on the plastic. Stiles made a confused little noise as he pulled his hand away, with the curtain attached to him.

 _The hell?_ Stiles thought as the curtain was still mysteriously stuck to his palm as he shook it furiously.

Frantically he yanked on his curtain hand, ripping and pulling in every way at his disposal; finally he pulled a little harder, and just then, suddenly... the tube holding the curtain caved and fell against Stiles, making the teenager stumble backwards and slip into the tub. He grunted as his head smacked against the wall with a loud 'thump'.

Stiles groaned as he landed in an awkward position, looking at the curtain that was covering his naked body. He jumped to his feet in a form that could only be described as a spider-like creature launching, landing outside of the tub, not noticing his rather amazing feat; Stiles had never jumped off of the ground and landed on his feet before, and definitely not to the degree of jumping out of a bathtub and not knock anything over in the process.

He rubbed the back of his head, and strangely enough he didn't feel any pain, which he concluded must have been dulled by adrenaline or something like that. Stiles looked at his hand, just in time to see the curtain fall off of his hand as if it hadn't been stuck to it in the first place. Stiles stared at his right hand for a solid minute before he felt a breeze blow through the bathroom, reminding him that he was completely naked. The teenager forced himself to shrug off the curtain incident while drying himself off with a towel, and then getting dressed with the clothes he had laid on the back of a shelf.

Once dressed, Stiles grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste, having been able to practically taste his morning breath, which was far worse considering the repugnant amount of food he had eaten last night once he had gotten home.

He opened the cap to the toothpaste, beginning to slightly apply pressure as always, although, just as he barely even moved his finger inward, the container exploded, sending the minty substance splashing into the mirror in front him. He let out a small yelp in surprise as he saw the light blue trail of toothpaste.

He stared at the container for a second, wondering how it could have exploded, however, the matter would have to be dealt with later as he still had to leave the house before he was late to school, so he extended his arm and scraped his toothbrush against the mirror acquiring some of the toothpaste. Stiles sighed as he looked at his reflection, knowing he wasn't leaving the house without minty breath.

Proceeding to turn the water on, Stiles wrapped his hand around the handle, and just as he went to turn it ever so slightly, Stiles watched in horror as it came with his hand right off, appearing that he had just pulled it right off, as if it hadn't even been put in properly. Water spewed out, spraying everywhere, soaking Stiles' shirt completely.

With an inhuman grunt of annoyance Stiles hurried and reached out for a towel, since the water was leaking between his fingers. Throwing the towel down over the spraying water, Stiles peeled his shirt off and snarled in disgust.

"What the hell is happening?!" he growled, gravely confused about the mysterious events of this morning so far, but he tried to not think about it for the moment as the water was the more pressing matter. Once he was at least seventy percent certain that the water had stopped, he slowly took a few steps towards the door.

When he went to open it, he quickly thought twice, and with his index finger and thumb, he slowly took a hold of the knob and turned it, applying as minimal pressure as he possibly could, and opened the door. Once out of the bathroom he hurried downstairs to brush his teeth in the kitchen... _Okay, feeling less optimistic about today..._

* * *

Having changed his shirt and gotten everything he needed for school today, he walked into the yard, expecting a vehicle to be outside waiting for him, but alas... there was not a single one there.

Stiles cursed loudly as he remembered that since Scott didn't own a car he had to use Melissa's car, and he even told him last night that he wouldn't be able to drive today since Melissa had to start using it more often due to a spike of admissions at the hospital. He also remembered that his skateboard was broken because of what happened in the subway last night.

He stayed outside of his house for a minute trying to think of his options; there was no way in hell he would make it if he went by foot, but right now he didn't see any other option, as it was already too late to call someone to come pick him up. He groaned far louder than necessary as he put his book bag's two straps on his back, and cracked his neck. He let out a sigh and muttered some other curse words and took off towards the direction of his school.

While running, he could feel the wind rushing past his face, and he didn't notice that he was running far faster than he had ever gone, as he didn't even notice that he was moving as fast as a moving car.

He ran across the street, not noticing a grey car rounding the corner until it was too late, and while in any given situation you might have expected him to be hit, but something inside of him kicked in, and without thinking twice he jumped up and glided smoothly across the car's hood, gracefully landing on his feet.

The blaring horn could be heard for the next couple blocks as Stiles kept moving like a rhino, knowing he was going to be late, there was no way he wouldn't be late.

Stiles knew that the intersection he was coming up on was notorious for bad traffic, so he knew whatever he was going to do would have to be pretty _agile._ He saw that the road was just caked with cars stuck in place, and based on the looks of the drivers in them, they hadn't moved in a while.

There were the traffic lights, and then his mind went blank once again.

He reached the intersection, and with his right foot he pushed himself into the air, and he flew up to the pole, grabbing it with his left hand and pulling himself, he went flying across the street, which was a good ten feet in the air at the least.

Landing onto his feet with a roll, Stiles laughed lightly not even really noticing what he had even done, as it had felt like instinct to him, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the school far earlier than he expected. People were still pulling into the parking lot as he came up, and as he hopped onto the sidewalk, Stiles noticed he hadn't even broke a sweat.

"Huh..." he laughed as he looked at his phone to check what time it was... 7:40. He left his house at 7:35, and he realized he had made it across Queens in a matter of five minutes, which was normally a twenty minute drive no matter what. Stiles laughed as he practically bounced his way into the school with a smile on his face.

As he entered the school, Lydia was just getting out of Jackson's Porsche with her boyfriend opening her door. Her eyes fell upon Stiles, and noticed that something was different with him today. She couldn't really put her finger on it as she touched that spider necklace.

It was the one he had made specially for her back when they were nine. See, while their friendship was limited, they did care about each other like any best friends would. Although, they grew too apart to even consider each other friends anymore, if they could ever be called that.

Stiles had told her that he made the symbol himself, wanting her to have something unique, and something he made himself because she wanted to make sure that even if he wasn't always there physically, he could be there for her in spirit. Lydia had never taken it off, because it was the best present she had ever gotten.

It was the only symbol like it, and Lydia was happy she was the proud owner of it.

Her train of thought was derailed as Jackson put his arm around her and they began walking towards the school. Lydia didn't forget that she still wanted to talk to Stiles today during Biology though... and that was her one goal for today if anything...

* * *

 ** _Downtown Manhattan_**

* * *

The door to the penthouse loft opened as Derek stepped in carefully, looking like he had just witnessed a family member be murdered in a terrible manner. He slowly peeled his jacket off, taking a deep breath as he shut the door behind him, locking it. Turning the lights on he could see the dusty shelves everywhere, and how it appeared nobody had been home for a long time.

Derek laid his jacket on a coat rack and stretched his arms out as he looked at the mail lying on the floor in front of the door. There were so many letters that Derek lost track, and as he knelt down to see what they were, his eyes glowed icy blue.

The letters were all addressed to Laura Hale, his older sister that had went missing the year Claudia Stilinski died. His entire head was hurting knowing that not only was Laura missing, but the one he was needing Stiles' help to find, was his younger sister, Cora.

It wasn't until last year that he managed to find out Cora was alive. She was so young back then when the fire started that killed most of their family, and when he finally found her, it was like he managed to recover a piece of his soul.

Cora had gone missing a few days after the first Identity Thief victim was found, and when Derek had searched her small apartment, he could catch someone's scent, but it was never fully shown, as if they were able to cover their tracks. The only things capable of covering their scent was a supernatural being, but regular humans could find ways to keep their scent hidden.

In that short amount of time from the first victim to this point, Derek had learned a lot about the Identity Thief... and now he was almost certain this was a human, but he was not in his right mind. Slowly he began to realize what kind of a man the Identity Thief was.

The way he left his victims, the way he tortured them, Derek had a feeling this was a man with a dark past, and that was just the start of what he was figuring out. If the Identity Thief were human, how could his scent be untraceable? There was only one human he had ever seen have an indistinct scent that couldn't be traced and that was because he was had split personalities... which led him to believe that people with that disorder could possibly be able to hide their scent without realizing it, but he had no further proof on that matter.

Whoever the Identity Thief was, Derek was going to find him no matter what, but he was running out of time. Now, for Derek it was a race against time, because even though Cora was a werewolf, there was only so much she could take before her body couldn't stand the torture. That was why Derek needed Stiles, because Stiles Stilinski could think in a way that no other person he had ever met could...

Stiles Stilinski was the perfect combination of his mother and father's brains... and because of that, Stiles could find the Identity Thief, he would just need to put his mind to it.

Derek smiled as he stepped into the bathroom and looked at his reflection, the amount of blood dried on his face and torso reminded him of what he really was, whether he could redeem himself or not. Derek was a monster at the source, and he would never forget it.

He growled at the thought he was within a foot of Norman Osborn, but because of the fact he had sent one of the security guards flying into the door with such force it dented it to where opening it was not possible, Derek restrained himself, even though he could have easily broken through that door and tore Norman to pieces.

That would be too easy, but he would have to watch Norman... as he had a feeling that if something happened to Norman, he would never see Laura again. Norman wasn't wrong when he said Derek was fighting a battle on two fronts, at least... not all the way. Derek was fighting two battles on the same front. On one hand, he had to find Laura... and on the other, he had to find Cora...

The only question was, whose life was more in danger, and Derek knew that Cora was in more danger than Laura at the moment. If only Stiles was more like him, not completely human, perhaps he wouldn't have to fight this battle alone... although, what were the chances that Stiles Stilinski would somehow gain super powers?

He shook his head as he washed himself up, got something to eat before he decided to go back out to try to find Cora by himself, hoping he might be able to pick up her trail, knowing the chances were slim to none.

As he reached for the door, he heard something just barely, and his entire body developed goosebumps as he heard a woman scream in a manner that made his eyes glow blue. Derek slammed the door shut as he realized where that scream was coming from... Queens. Something told him the next victim was just taken.

* * *

 ** _Midtown High School_**

* * *

Lunch came around that day, and Stiles had gotten a rather large amount for food that shocked Scott apparently because the teen's mouth was gaping like a swing-set.

It was kind of shocking to be honest as Scott had never seen Stiles like this, it was like someone had kidnapped Stiles and took his place; it was kind of disturbing to be honest.

"Dude, hungry much?" Scott asked incredulously as Stiles had spent what money was left on his account buying three burgers and got like two full sized drinks.

"Yeah, I'm starved." Stiles explained as he opened his burger and began digging into it. Scott couldn't explain it, but Stiles seemed different today. Stiles had ADHD as pretty much everyone knew, so he would often fidget in class, coloring parts of his chemistry book gaining the attention of Mr. Harris, but Stiles seemed really calm today, like the kind of calm that a person becomes before they turn out to be some psychopath, just like in the movies.

"I heard that you ate like half of your fridge last night."

"Yeah, I guess I did. I don't even remember eating all of it. I just remember leaving the school on my skateboard, riding it around for a while, and then I was on my way home, and then waking up this morning."

"Stiles, what's up with you today? You seem different."

"What are you talking about? I'm the same as I was yesterday Scotty." Stiles assured him, even though the images of his fight on the Subway flashed through his head, but he shook that off pretty quickly. "I mean, I guess I feel different today. I feel like I have a bunch of energy right now, and yet I'm not hyper, it's weird. I can't really explain it."

Scott raised an eyebrow as he watched Stiles devour his food in a matter of a couple minutes and wiped his hands after finishing the last one, much to his best friend's disbelief. "That was good... man I probably gained like four pounds just there."

"I bet you did... and since you say you have a bunch of energy in you right now, how about we try that energy out on the court? Who knows, maybe if you have that same kind of energy to play, you might just be able to persuade Coach to let you play on the next game. It'd be a nice change."

"Yeah, it would. Let's do it, I need to burn some of this energy off anyway." Stiles said with a smile before he and Scott dealt with their trays and took off towards the gym.

* * *

 ** _Brooklyn Bridge_**

* * *

Norman tried to keep calm as Shaw, the man who had been one of his greatest assets from the very beginning of his career as the founder of Oscorp Industries, looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his bald head shining brightly in the light coming from the sunroof.

"You said you wanted to talk about the target's first appearance in over sixteen years... what happened?" Shaw questioned, his voice stale and monotone, as if whatever humane part of him had been removed a very long time ago.

"Yes," Norman hissed, while next to him was his meager assistant, Justin went through yesterday's security footage for the Hempstead facility. "If he's still around, then that means there is a chance that my secrets can be uncovered. If Dr. Stilinski's son catches wind of what I've done, the price to pay will be far too great. I think he'll end up being the one to tear everything I've put all my blood, sweat, and tears into building. I need Subject Zero found..."

"I've been watching all the cop like you wanted, but he's never shown his hairy mug."

"Uh... sir, you might want to see this." Justin stuttered as he turned the tablet with the camera footage on it to Norman, and the CEO's eyes grew wide with horror at the footage of Scott McCall's incident, but that wasn't what caught his sight. It was that during the commotion, Stiles Stilinski slithered off out of sight, and his horror turned to anger.

"I have an idea... watch the boy... he's a lot like his mother, Subject Zero will most likely go to him."

"Very well... what do I do if it turns out the boy has come into contact with one of Dr. Stilinski's spiders?"

"We need to make sure it's not the X-95, because if it is... I fear there will be no stopping what's to come... it could be, life changing... Justin, find out if anything was taken, or at the very least... find out where Stiles Stilinski snuck off to."

* * *

 **Midtown High School**

* * *

Horrendous amounts of laughter could be heard as Scott and Stiles practically bounced their way down the hallway, as Stiles began to notice his eyesight zooming in and out again like it had last night in the alleyway, and panic began to take over his senses, but before that could happen he took a deep breath and concentrated, and just like that his sight went back to normal.

He thought for a moment before he looked at one of the girls, and focused in, and to his surprise his sight moved like a binocular zooming in on her features. He could see the pores on her skin, and how a few occasional streaks of sweat would disappear after a couple seconds, and all Stiles could think was how the light shined off of her, and he forced himself to look away.

Stiles shook his head as he noticed Scott looking at him curiously, which made his stomach turn upside down as he realized that he had been far too quiet.

"Did you hear what I said?" Scott asked, and Stiles shook his head. "I asked you if you talked to Harry today? I haven't seen him."

"I haven't talked to him either. I guess he's probably doing his own thing right now, or he's home considering what happened at the Hempstead lab."

Just mentioning the Hempstead lab brought back that horrifying roar that could only belong to Subject Zero, and a strange buzzing began in the back of Stiles' head. It was so loud, and all he could do was move, right before a ball flew past his head. Stiles managed to grab it and turn to look at the person that had thrown the basketball, and found it was Jackson.

"Jesus, you're on point today Stilinski!" Jackson laughed as Stiles threw it back to him, hitting him square in the chest. "Whoa, whoa, whoa... what's the deal man? I was just joking with you."

"How about for once you take your joke and throw it somewhere else, won't you? I'm not in the mood for it today Jackson."

"Fine... whatever." Jackson replied, nodding with contempt over Stiles' remark. "I'll _throw it somewhere else_."

"Thank you."

Jackson walked off, looking at the basketball with confusion as Scott and Stiles kept moving. _What was that buzzing? Did I sense Jackson was going to hit me with that ball? What's going on with me? First I develop glue hands, I take down an entire group of train passengers... my sight is like a camera lens... and now this? I mean, it's probably just a one time fluke but something weird is going on._

"Stiles, where did that come from?" Scott asked incredulously, with a large smile on his face, and all Stiles could do was shrug as he really didn't know.

"I guess it happens once a day so I got used to it, and maybe expected it?"

"Are you telling me that, or are you guessing?"

"Both... if I'm going to be honest." Stiles chuckled as they rounded the corner, passing the Chemistry classroom right as Mr. Harris stepped out, blocking the way, and just like that the buzzing in Stiles' head began again.

"Mr. Stilinski... Mr. McCall..." Harris greeted with a stale tone, raising his eyebrow examining Stiles.

"Ah, Mr. Harris... you get back from torturing those puppies in your basement finally?" asked Stiles crossing his arms, noticing that Harris was wearing a brace on his leg, and also had bandages on his right hand and arm.

"How I despise your repugnant sarcasm... it's the one thing that makes me want to harm a human being..."

"I try my hardest. So, what happened to you?"

"I was riding my bicycle and got hit by a car, in which I was luckily only given a broken bone in my leg and a few cuts on my arm."

"Wow, here I thought you were an android that couldn't be damaged. I guess you do learn something new every day." Stiles laughed, mustering a chuckle from Scott who tried to hide it, as Harris gave them the death glare.

"Mr. Stilinski, the reason I stopped is because I just wanted to remind you that even though your relationship with Ms. Reyes has subsequently ended, do not think you can get out of working with her for your assignment." he hissed, and in that moment all of the joy Stiles felt disappeared, and his face turned to a snarl as the buzzing in the back of his head blocked out all noise, pushing past Harris so hard that the teacher fell to the ground; Scott quickly followed Stiles as Harris got himself back to his feet, picking up his glasses and gave a malicious smile down the hallway as Stiles disappeared around the corner.

* * *

 **The Gymnasium**

* * *

There was a bunch of students in the gym already, and Stiles barely noticed one of his friends, Isaac Lahey standing on a ladder trying to put up a banister for the upcoming school dance.

The gym was already packed, with students working on the decorations for the dance, and some of the basketball team were on the court practicing. Stiles had a feeling practice would be interesting.

"Hey Stiles." Isaac called out, his scarf falling off of his shoulder, to which Stiles rolled his eyes knowing that it was far too warm to be wearing a scarf.

"Hey Isaac... you need any help there?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Natalie's helping me." Isaac pointed at a nerdy dark haired girl who almost reminded Stiles of a female Isaac with her scarf on, with a polka-dotted sweater on, her hair tied up in a double bun, with strands of hair dropping in front of her glasses.

She was currently busy painting another banner while Flash and another basketball player were in front of her about ten feet away at one of the hoops.

"Okay, let me know if you need help." Stiles nodded, and Isaac smiled lightly before getting back to work.

"Actually, hey... Stiles, can you do me a favor and hop up there and pin that over there? It came loose a minute ago and if I let go the entire thing is going to fall down."

"Yeah, sure thing." Stiles barely touched anything as he jumped onto the top of the other ladder, balancing on the very top without a care in the world as he got his half pinned up. "I'll stay here until you get it pinned up the rest of the way."

"Thanks." Isaac finished his side, and Stiles watched the wobbly ladder start to go out from under Isaac's feet, and it felt like time slowed down as Stiles jumped off the ladder and raced beneath Isaac, catching him as the ladder crashed to the floor.

"Jesus, are you okay?" Stiles asked as he put Isaac on his feet, as the teen tried to figure out how Stiles managed to get over here so quickly.

"Uh... yeah, I think so. Thanks Stiles, I owe you one."

"No, you don't..."

"Stiles, there is seriously something going on with you today. I've never seen you move like that." Scott assured, and Stiles didn't pay too much attention to it as they went out to the court.

"Maybe all that time as an athlete is paying off finally."

 _No, it's not... I don't know what's going on with me today, but I think I like it._

"Maybe." Scott agreed, although unsure of whether or not this was actually something that was a long time coming, but he still had that suspicion that something was different about Stiles, and just what it was... he had yet to figure that out.

Natalie hummed a little song to herself as Flash blocked the ball from his teammate, knocking it right out of his hand. The ball rolled into the bucket of paint knocking it over, spilling its blue contents all over the banister.

"Flash! You did that on purpose!"

"No but I should've. Better watch your back." Flash growled at her, to which Stiles stopped and turned his head towards him with the cockiest expression he could have ever mustered.

"What's that supposed to mean? You going to knock the paint over again, because I don't think that's going to make anything worse. See, Flash... I don't think you know what you're talking about half of the time."

"Stilinski... are you trying to get another beating?"

"Beating? As I recall you have a bruise from Harry Osborn still on your forehead, or is that just where your flames from whatever remains of your brain hitting right now? I can practically smell it from here..."

"Always the sarcastic one. You need to learn where you belong Stilinski, otherwise you're going to get hurt, or worse one of these days."

"Aw... that's for the advice, but I don't take advice from someone who hangs out with Patrick Star as their intellectual superior."

Flash went to step forward, but Jackson stepped in the space between them, and held his hand against Flash's chest.

"Flash, forget it... what did I tell you, no more laying a hand on him. If you do, you'll have to answer to me."

"What the hell is up with you, why are you suddenly on Stilinski's side?"

"Stiles is one of the decent guys around here. Maybe you should actually get a haircut and start using that brain of yours... and as for the reason, we all have to grow up sometime. No more childish fights because you want to act like a neanderthal."

 _Did Jackson just use a word that has more than ten letters? Oh my god, I must be dead. That would explain everything. That spider was poisonous and I died in my sleep..._

Stiles blinked in surprise before turning to face Scott, whose face had the same look of surprise as he did.

"Whatever... just stay out of my way Stilinski."

"Oh yes Officer, will do!" Stiles mocked in a British accent doing a bow, which resulted in Scott slapping his arm. "Fine... I'll cut it out Scott."

"Are you trying to get beat up today?"

"No, but I don't really know where the sarcasm is coming from today either." Stiles laughed, as his head had that strange buzzing sensation in the back again and he barely managed to lean his head back as a basketball flew by his head, and Stiles caught it with only his index and middle finger, and thumb to grip it. When he turned he found it was Flash that had thrown it. "Okay... is your name Jackson, because the only guy that gets a free card to do that is him, and right about now he's not even able to do that."

"Just give back the ball Stilinski..." Flash said after a couple moments of silence, and a little idea popped in his head. If the curtain had stuck to his hand, and that pole in the subway did... whose to say if he focused the ball wouldn't stick to him either?

"Okay, if you can take it from me."

"Are, are you serious right now?" Flash laughed as Stiles walked up to him with a coy smile, dribbling the ball.

"I am very serious right now, Flash. I mean, Coach is watching, and I'm pretty sure that if you and Jackson are the top players, you should be able to take the ball away from the guy who constantly sits on the sideline all the time."

Stiles and Flash looked to where Coach Finstock was sitting in his chair eating a bag of chips with coffee in his other hand, with an excited smile on his face, although Coach did have a phone in his lap too so there was a possibility he was watching a show or a movie on it.

"Do you really want to do this?"

"Hey, we're on the same team, right? It's just a friendly little game." Stiles held the ball out to Flash. "But I suppose if you don't want to mess around I'll just give it to you."

"Good." Flash grabbed the ball, and tried pulling, only to fall on his back as the ball didn't even budge from it's resting spot on Stiles' hand.

"Did you slip?" Stiles asked innocently, even though he knew he was the cause of it, and he couldn't be happier. "Come on, just take the ball."

Flash got up and shook it off, grabbing the ball again and tried pulling, but to no avail. Stiles put it in his other hand and held it out. "Sorry, I forgot... I had glue on that hand so it was probably sticking to that... sorry man, here."

When Flash tried to reach for the ball again, Stiles tossed the ball behind his back and onto his right hand. "Oh come on... just take the ball Flash."

Stiles went back and forth for a good minute, and after Flash had fallen two or three times, Stiles just held the ball out. "You know what, here... just to make it easier for you."

He covered his eyes with his left hand, separating his fingers for a moment to look with his eye, but the buzzing in the back of his head gave him a strange image that showed where Flash would be moving, and Stiles smiled lightly as Flash went for it.

In that moment, Stiles pulled the ball back, and spun around Flash, tripping him on accident, and dribbled the ball over to the basket, before jumping up into the air and dunking it into the hoop, shattering the glass, right as a girl popped her bubble gum in the background.

Coach looked up from his phone with his mouth wide open. "Stilinski! What the hell?"

"Sorry Coach..." Stiles apologized sheepishly as Coach walked over to him and put his hands on the teen's shoulders.

"What are you talking about kid? Sorry... sorry is a baby word. You should be proud! Guess what, you're going to play in the next game."

"Wait, what?"

Coach laughed as he spun Stiles around to look at the hoop. "Nobody has managed to do that in fifteen years... and do you know who did that last time?"

"I don't know... some fat guy who can jump?"

"No... I don't know his name, but he's with the Celtics now I believe... anyway... you're going to play the next game. If anyone asks, the backboard broke because of a ball hitting it, not because you dunked it into next century. Got it?"

"What about the glass?"

"Don't worry about it... Thompson can clean it up."

"COACH!" Flash gasped in disbelief. "YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" his anger could be heard as well as seen as he threw his arms up in the air, and looked like he was going to protest, however Coach's renowned death stare, the one he gave a mouthy athlete during practice or a game, shut him right up.

"Get it done," Coach ordered, and pulled Stiles towards the locker room to have a talk with him about playing for the next game, with everyone in the gymnasium looking on with pure surprise and shock having seen the impossible... Stiles Stilinski managed to get one over Flash Thompson.

* * *

Stiles was smiling brightly as he stood in the locker room after his talk with Coach, actually excited about the next game, knowing he would actually get to play for once, and maybe, just maybe, his father could be there to watch him play. It was one of the many developments today that he was thrilled about, as he closed his locker, which now had his last name on, which brought an even bigger smile on his face, when he felt his body stiffen. There was that buzzing in the back of his head again, and this time... it was the most intense one yet, as he felt like everything around him had frozen.

He could hear a fly buzzing through the air, the sound of someone's shoe squeaking on the floor, and a loud growl as Stiles spun around and caught Flash Thompson's fist. The two just looked at each other with surprise and then Stiles threw his arm down.

"What the hell was that Stilinski?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Stiles replied as he cracked his knuckles. "It's not my fault Coach suddenly decided to have you clean up a mess I accidentally made."

"No, it's not even the fact I was the clean up, you humiliated me out there, why..."

"Well, now you know how all of the people you torment and pick on feel every single day when you decide it's their turn."

"If you think that is what I can deal out, then you are so far off Stilinski... I hold back on you for only one reason... and that's Erica. I mean, you ruin everything you come into contact with, whether you believe it or not..."

Stiles stopped listening as he continued on about what kind of person Stiles was, but his mind drifted onto Flash's mention of Erica, and then it popped up again a minute later. "Everyone may see you as a good guy, but I know what you did to Erica..."

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to her!" Stiles growled, and in that moment somehow, without even realizing he slammed Flash into the locker, putting his face mere inches from Flash's.

"Oh, don't act innocent... I know exactly what you did to her, and if I find out you do anything else to her..."

"What are you going to do, Flash? Huh? Listen to me when I say this... I don't know what half baked idea you've developed about what happened between Erica and I... but you are so wrong about this. I never did anything to Erica, she was the one that broke up with me. She broke up with me... and never told me why. I have never done anything to hurt her, or anything along those lines. If you think I have done something to her, then my god you are more stupid than I thought you were; and here's another thing you are going to understand before I let you go... I don't care if you have Jackson or any other of your friends to back you up, I could care less really, but if you ever bring Erica into one of your little tantrums again, I will make sure you know what it's like to be humiliated in the way you have humiliated me for years. Do you understand me, I'm done playing the nice guy when it comes to you idiots. Leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone... it's that simple. If you want to talk to me, treat me with the respect that you would hope I would you give you, Eugene." Stiles let of Flash and walked away... his stomach in knots from how angry he felt over Flash's accusation.

What had he meant by he knew about what Stiles had done to Erica?

* * *

A Few Minutes Later

Stiles stepped into Mr. Harris' Chemistry class, sitting down next to the blonde teenager who couldn't bear to look at him right now, probably due to their last talk. He knew Erica wasn't happy about having to work together, because things were still very awkward between them. Harris hadn't cared that they had broken up, as they were already a few weeks into the project, and all Stiles could do was stick through it until the end.

Erica tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, sniffling a little bit, and Stiles caught sight of a bandage on her arm, which was stained with what could only be blood, and he felt a pain in his chest just at the sight of it.

For nearly twenty minutes the two were dead silent, and after a while Stiles reached into his pocket pulling out a locket and laid it in front of Erica, gaining a small gasp.

"Where did you find this?"

"Remember the day we first met when we were ten? I found it later that day after what happened, thinking that perhaps you might have dropped something. I wasn't sure if it was your's until just before you broke up with me..."

"How did you know?" Erica asked softly taking the locket into her hand and a tear ran down her face.

"I saw a family photo in the hallway of you and your father... I figured you would like to have it back."

"You've had it all these years?"

"Yeah... I figured that if it had been your's, eventually I might have seen you, but I couldn't get confirmation until the day before we ended."

"Thank you, Stiles..."

He nodded, and as he looked at the locket for a moment, the memory of the day when he was ten years old resurfaced... the day when he saved Erica Reyes from drowning... the one day where he felt like a hero.

* * *

 **Hey guys, there's the chapter... and yes, a lot happened in this chapter, more than I intended which is why the chapter is so dang long. Just wanted to let you know that because of this chapter being like three times the length of the average one, I want to let you guys know that for the 200 review mark, this is one of those chapters because of the length. I just have a lot to get done and I don't want to be overwhelmed, sorry to say that.**

 **Anyway, onto reviews... 191 reviews now! Thank you guys so much, and I can't wait for you guys to let me know what you thought of this chapter.**

 **We found out a lot this chapter, whether you realize it or not.**

 **What are your thoughts on:**

 **1\. Harry knowing about his father's illness?**

 **2\. The discovery of who Derek is looking for, both of them actually...**

 **3\. The woman in the wheelchair (hint... she has a bigger role than you might think)**

 **4\. Stiles' Powers emerging**

 **5\. Lydia's necklace (it's just an idea I had.)**

 **6\. Flash's comment over Stiles and Erica**

 **7\. The Fact that Stiles saved Erica when he was ten...**

 **But, that's all I really have to say for now, please review and I will see you guys soon.**

 **Btw, I will be having a huge review response for anyone with questions and theories. I will be giving a bunch of answers to things you might have questions about, so feel free to ask about anything. If you do ask a question, and you are a guest, please leave a name so I can personally respond instead of writing Guest constantly, because that doesn't really tell people who asked what.**

 **So, Chapter Fourteen: The X-95 and this chapter's reviews will be responded to next chapter, and I will be answering pretty much anything. See you guys soon!**


	17. Sink or Swim

_Chapter Sixteen: Sink or Swim_

* * *

 ** _Six Years Ago (2006)_**

* * *

 ** _9:38 A.M._**

* * *

 _Do you remember me?_ The disembodied eight year old voice echoed in the back of his head as ten year old Stiles sat in the hallway of his house holding the small spider symbol he had made. It was originally for his mother's birthday, but that was right before she passed away; it had been an idea of his that perhaps if she had something that he personally had given her, maybe when he had seen her the next time she would remember him.

Coincidentally, right after he made it, when he visited his mother, she had remembered him... however, that was right before she passed away.

The memory of her death brought a tear to his eye as he quickly wiped it away. Two years had passed, and those were the hardest two years he had ever gone through. It wasn't all that different, per say. After all, his mother was never around, but now it was just different because he knew she wasn't coming back.

Wiping the back of his neck, Stiles couldn't help but think about his father. Claudia's death had hit Stilinski the hardest, and would drown himself in his work to avoid the pain of not having his wife around anymore. Stiles had gotten more attention lately, but that didn't change the fact that his father was more distant than ever.

The heatwave that had hit Manhattan in the past week meant that Stiles had found a way to hopefully spend some time with his father. Stilinski had chosen to take a couple days off to make sure Stiles was okay, and to avoid getting sick himself from this overwhelming heat.

Sitting in this hallway was probably the coolest area to be at, because of how dark it was and the air conditioner vent was right above him.

It wasn't what might be considered hot in the house, but Stiles still felt like he was going to melt at any moment, so for now he was going to sit here and relax the best he could.

The spider symbol was warm against his flesh, having been made out of silver. Stiles thought about the necklace Lydia always wore now, and it brought a smile to his face. That was the symbol he had altered just for her. He had made two symbols in particular, a prototype one that was more like an actual spider, which was the one he made for Claudia, and then there was this new one that Lydia wore around her neck. This was more segmented, having a home made look to it, which Stiles thought was perfect.

If it had looked professional then Stiles would have felt like it wasn't as special in Lydia's eyes. He wanted her to know he had made it specifically for her, and that was why he went for the homemade look for it.

It took using some of his father's tools in the garage while he was either asleep or at work and Stiles was home from school for about an hour, but he managed to get it done in a matter of a few days, just in time for Lydia's birthday. As a matter of fact, it was a few hours before her party, so he had cut it close.

Now that he had the process down, if he ever wanted to make another, he had the capabilities and skill to do so without a problem. Honestly, he thought about trying it on fabric the next time he made that symbol.

He put the metal spider symbol in his pocket as he heard his father exit the kitchen, with a tender voice as he was on the phone.

"Come on Melissa, are you sure you don't want to come with us to Brighton Beach today? Stiles and Scott haven't really had a chance to spend time together lately, and I haven't..." Stilinski froze as he stepped by his son, and gulped lightly. "...I haven't had a chance to talk to you lately in person."

"Well John, I don't know what to tell you. I have to work in an hour and I don't get off until midnight. I'm sorry, but we can't go. Scott's spending the day with his father since he's in town, so I'm not going to have him go somewhere he doesn't want to go."

"Okay, maybe next time?" Stilinski asked hopeful, and Melissa sighed through the phone.

"Maybe next time." she repeated before the two said their goodbyes and Stilinski put his phone away looking at his son with a blank expression as he knelt down beside him.

"Scott isn't going, is he?" Stiles asked, to which Stilinski nodded slowly. "I figured as much. He doesn't really have time to talk to me anymore."

"Look, you and Scott are still best friends, it's just Scott can't go today because he's seeing his dad. You know how it is for Scott to see him, especially after his parents got divorced. This is the first time since then that he's gotten to see him."

"I know, I just wish I could have talked to him."

It was true that Stiles had not spoken a single word to Scott in the past month, and as to why he hadn't, Stiles had not a single clue.

It might have had something to do with the loss of their dog recently following a grisly attack from a rabid dog Scott encountered the park, but Stiles had no confirmation of that.

The moment he thought about how he had seen Scott enter the hospital that day brought tears to his eyes. He could never get over that image as he saw that bloodied dog leash in his hand, and after his dog's death he hadn't been the same really.

Scott had been a little distant ever since then, and Stiles hoped one day Scott would be able to talk to him again.

"Look, Scott's mom said she'd let you stay the night next Saturday so the two of you can talk. Until then, let's enjoy ourselves, hmm?"

"Yeah." Stiles said with a weak smile getting up with help from Stilinski, whose hands were calloused from his early work as a mechanic with his father before they had a falling out. Stiles had never met his grandfather Elias, but from what he had heard... he should never meet him.

"Go get your swim clothes together and we'll get going," Stilinski smiled at him before Stiles practically darted up the stairs. Today was going to be good, Stilinski had no doubt about it in his mind.

* * *

 **Brighton Beach**

* * *

 ** _11:30 A.M_.**

* * *

Stiles was smiling brightly as he saw the light make the river look like crystals, all while the water splashed his legs. For the first time in a while he was really happy, at ease with himself and the world. It was amazing to say the least, and all Stiles could do was sigh a little bit.

He had come here with his parents before, but never really took it in, because for the most part he was spending as much time playing with Claudia as he could, seeing as he barely saw her either due to work or the hospital visits in those later visits.

It was always something that Stiles tried to not think about, how his mother slowly became someone he didn't know anymore, but it always crept into the back of his mind and reminded him of it.

Stilinski had always been there, but he was dealing with his own pain as well, and Stiles would often hear him cry at night over what had happened.

Stiles was only awake on those nights because he couldn't remember where his pillow was, the one that he couldn't sleep without. It was the pillow his mother had used before she had died, and the same night she had died, Stilinski had given that pillow to Stiles to use, and he became attached to it. There was no sleeping without it after that. Maybe it had to do with his mother, maybe it didn't, all Stiles knew was that he couldn't sleep without that pillow.

His father walked up alongside of him patting him on the shoulder with a smile on his face. "It's been a while."

"Yeah," was all Stiles could reply with, unable to think of anything better to say. Well, he did... but no words could come out, so he settled with _yeah._

Stilinski knew that Stiles was still having issues getting over Claudia's death, and by god so was he, but they both had to move on eventually. He didn't know if Stiles had grieved at all, well, obviously he had somewhat, but was it enough to move on and accept her death, probably not. Stiles said she was dead, but Stilinski could see that look in his eye every time he looked at the door, how he was almost expecting her to walk through those doors, and with joy in her voice squeal out " _Mischief, I'm home!_ " which would cause him to run into her arms laughing.

That was partially the reason Stiles was always sitting in the hallway now, besides the heat. Stiles wouldn't admit it but Stilinski had caught him sitting there in the hallway at night facing the door; who knows, maybe Stiles was waiting for his father to get home, but unless Stiles admitted it, he would never fully know.

"I heard you won the science fair a few days ago."

"I did," Stiles replied quietly, and Stilinski sat down beside him as the kid followed suit. "I wanted to see you there when I won."

"I know, I wanted to be there too, but I was working."

"You're never there anymore."

"I try to be there when it counts... I know it's hard for you to barely see me because of work, but you have no idea how hard it is to not see you every day and actually talk to you. I miss spending time with my son, and right now things are really tough. We'll figure it out soon enough kiddo. I promise."

"Do me a favor, Dad... if you're going to make a promise, make one you can keep."

"I always have," Stilinski replied with shock by his son's cold tone, and he noticed the small tear running down Stiles' face.

"You promised Mom would come home... she didn't."

"I couldn't control whether she came home or not. Stiles, I know you're young, but please understand that there are going to be things that you can't control in life. Sometimes you can save someone from dying, at least in the moment, but the truth is in the end everyone eventually passes away. In that second you can save them, and they get to live longer, but there are instances where we have no control of when someone has an illness like your mother did." Stiles didn't look at his father as he looked down and a few minutes later Stiles looked at the water and gave a small smile.

"Okay... race you to the water!" Stiles said, hoping this would make things better, as he raced his dad to the river, and naturally won because Stilinski was holding back.

Stiles went under the water, and felt himself practically melt away into someplace that he could only describe as serene.

* * *

 ** _12:00 P.M._**

* * *

When he came out of the water after a couple dives under, though... it felt like he had exited it to a world of shock as he heard a scream of a woman shouting: "ERICA!" and he watched a blonde girl his age falling into the water. Stiles didn't know what had happened, but he dove back under the water and swam towards the girl. The thing was, Stiles had never been able to swim before now, as he had never been taught. Stilinski's voice could be heard yelling for Stiles as he kept moving forward, his body instinctively reacting.

His eyes landed upon her as she sunk through the water towards the bottom, and all Stiles could do was blink a couple times out of surprise by how pretty she was, but kept moving towards her. Upon reaching her, he wrapped her left arm around him and swam upwards.

By the time he had come out of the water with her, they were surrounded by the girl's family and Stilinski who had swam out to make sure Stiles and the girl were okay. Stiles managed to help the unconscious girl to her father who proceeded to do CPR until she started breathing, and Stilinski hugged Stiles tightly.

"What were you thinking?! You could have died."

"Dad... I couldn't just let her drown... you taught me to protect those who couldn't protect themselves... after all, I am your son."

Stiles could hear the frantic voices belonging to the unconscious girl's parents. "I don't know what happened, she was talking and all of a sudden she... she started shaking and then fell off of the boat!"

An ambulance was called and she was taken ashore, but Stiles couldn't help but look down towards where he had found her sinking, and decided to swim back under.

He had caught his father off guard by this, but within a few seconds Stiles had reached his target, which was something glinting off of a wooden board sticking out of the mud. Stiles reached for it, grabbing a locket and swam back up. As he got out of the water, he wondered if it belonged to her.

Stilinski was already at the shore, on his phone with Melissa to inform her of the incoming ambulance.

By the time Stiles had gotten over to him, Stilinski had reached the cruiser and grabbed a towel. He handed Stiles a towel himself and nodded lightly seemingly knowing what Stiles was thinking...

* * *

 ** _3:29 P.M._**

* * *

The hospital was quiet when Stiles and his father showed up. Stiles had found out the girl's name was Erica Reyes, and had suffered a seizure. He felt relieved that he had gotten to her when he did because if not for him she probably wouldn't have made it.

Stiles felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders and as he stood in the doorway to her room, he smiled lightly as he noticed her turn towards the door to look at him and she waved lightly.

Meanwhile, Stilinski stood with Melissa in the hallway talking quietly.

"Melissa, I told you that things aren't doing good. I think we have another problem on our hands. Cletus Kasady appears to have a copycat."

"What do you mean?" Melissa asked with shock. "Nobody knows about how Kasady killed his victims."

"I know, which makes this more disturbing. I'm afraid to say this, but whoever is behind this killed Camden Lahey."

"Wait, you mean Isaac Lahey's brother? When did this happen?"

"I don't know when he died exactly, I'm waiting on the coroner's report right now, but it had to be a week or two ago."

"Right before graduation." Melissa realized, and Stilinski nodded. "I feel so bad for Isaac... I can only imagine how he's doing right now."

"Melissa, if there is a copycat of Kasady while he is locked away in maximum security at Ryker's Island, then we have a bigger problem. That means either Kasady wasn't working alone in the murders, we have a fanatic on our hands, or someone who has witnessed Kasady at work."

"Wait, the only person who could have seen him possibly murder anybody was..."

"Yeah, however I've already spoken to him, and there is no motive, no signs of anything out of the ordinary. That is why I'm waiting on the coroner's report."

"I'll see what I can do to help speed things along, but no guarantees."

Stilinski nodded as he leaned against the wall thinking about when he caught Cletus Kasady when he had kidnapped a thirteen year old named Adrian Harris. That was ten years ago, right before Stiles was born.

Harris had looked like death, and he had survived the worst Kasady had given him; if not for one little difference that Kasady had not seen during the kidnapping Harris might have died. Stilinski was the lead officer on the case, and he had found a trace substance that was only found in Kasady's lair, an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn. When he had found Harris he was in an ice tub nearly dead and Kasady was just coming back with a weapon. For some reason, Kasady gave up right then and there, just smiling at Stilinski as he put the weapon down and put his hands behind his head.

It was probably the scariest thing he had ever seen from a person, how calm he was over his crimes. Stilinski shivered at the thought of another Kasady running around.

He thought about Stiles' safety and looked to see Stiles sitting in Erica Reyes' room and the two were laughing with each other talking. Stiles looked really happy, and Stilinski knew that something good did come out of today.

Stiles was still bummed out over Scott not talking to him, but that would be remedied a few days later when Scott accidentally destroyed Jackson Whittemore's science project and Stiles got in the way of a punch, and from that day their friendship had been stronger than ever. They were practically brothers after that day, but Scott had to tell Stiles that they hadn't talked because Scott was just grieving over Roxy, and was sorry for basically avoiding him.

* * *

Needless to say, that was the day that Stiles and Erica's relationship really began, but they wouldn't officially get together until their freshmen year of high school. It was only a year, but it would be one of the best years of Stiles' young life... which made their break up that much harder on him.

Why she broke up with him, he still had no idea about, but he never forgot about that locket, which he never knew was her's until the day before she broke up with him.

Something left a feeling in his stomach that whatever it was, it wasn't something simple...

* * *

 **Hey everyone. I know it's way way shorter than last chapter but I am had very little inspiration for this chapter in all honesty so I hope you all enjoyed it. Next chapter will be longer and have more stuff going on but I figured this chapter would help fill in some of the blanks. I know it wasn't exactly what I said it would be in terms of it being a "Stiles and Erica" chapter but the big focus was how they would meet. That was my big thing about this chapter and I got it through. Anyway, I figured I might as well stay to my promise and answer reviews from the past couple chapters.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Fourteen: The X-95**_

* * *

 _Gamelover41592: That comment was in fact about Madame Web. Well, I hope you enjoy the story as we keep going!_

 _Guest #1: Legend of the Speedsters was just discontinued temporarily because I had no inspiration for it but I got it now and it's being updated. So, if you enjoy it please check it out because I'm almost caught up to where I was previously._

 _Red Guy: Thank you for that, I wanted them to know each other but not truly be friends. I hope it's working out properly._

 _Guest #2: I never specifically said they weren't "friends" I just said they didn't really know each other like they did in the old one. They were friends at one point, but technically I was consistent because present day they aren't friends._

* * *

 ** _Chapter Fifteen: Metamorphosis_**

* * *

 _Taino Delsan13: Well, there is a reason... and it's not what you're expecting. I'll say that much._

 _Guest: Okay, to answer your questions, the next two installments are going to be called Web of Retribution and Web of Vengeance. Those are the next two installments, however I'm not revealing any further as they are too far down the line for me to even reveal. Yes I will be doing the Death of Gwen Stacy story, and I have not decided whether it's the classic Green Goblin death or the Ultimate Comics version where she died at the hands of Carnage. We'll see what happens._

* * *

 **Anyway, those are the things I could answer, or respond to at the moment. Uh... please review and if you guys have any, and I mean any questions please ask and I'll try my best to answer. See you all soon!**


	18. The Jock and the Nerd

**Hey everyone, just wanted to say that this chapter is a short one, but I wanted to get it done as I needed to take a break and this chapter was meant to be short anyway so yeah... next chapter will be longer and has a lot more story progress going on. Please enjoy, and I'll see you all later.**

* * *

 _Chapter Seventeen: The Jock and the Nerd_

* * *

 ** _Present Day (2012)_**

* * *

The sound of Erica's small, but noticeable sniffle made Stiles turn to look at her, and all he could do was restrain himself from hugging her, because he knew it wasn't the time nor place to show any affection, let alone something acceptable.

His eyes fell upon her arm where he saw a nasty looking scar that ran underneath her jacket, and something made him think back to Flash's comment...

 _"Everyone may see you as a good guy, but I know what you did to Erica..."_

"Erica..." Stiles said lightly, just to where she could hear him, and when she looked at him, he was facing the front of the class.

"What?"

"I want to ask you something, and please be honest with me; why did Flash say I did something to you?"

"I, I don't know why he would say that." Erica stammered confused, but then she looked at her arm and she went pale before covering up the scar. "Stiles, I, I... I don't know why he would accuse you of doing anything to me. He wasn't even supposed to see that."

"When did you get that Erica?"

"A few days before we broke up okay? Look, I get that you're concerned but mind your own business please."

"It might be that it's not my business but I'm not getting accused of hurting you; I want you to understand that, okay? We might not be dating anymore, but I will still protect you like I am your boyfriend, and that will never change. I will never hurt you, not if I can help it."

"Stiles, please, just drop it already." She pleaded, and Stiles nodded, before Mr. Harris walked in, and that strange buzzing in the back of his head started up again, and it made him feel like he was about to freak out, and he felt Erica suddenly grab his hand. She was shaking, and then Stiles watched as her eyes started to roll into the back of her head and then he realized what was about to happen.

"Erica!" was all he managed to say before he caught her in his arms, and just like that the buzzing in his head blocked out all of the outside noise.

Stiles looked up to see Harris staring right at him, and all he felt was a strange chill run down the back of his neck.

* * *

 **Thirty Minutes Later**

* * *

 ** _6th Period_**

* * *

P.E. was probably the most boring class of the day in all honesty, because now due to his ability of playing the next game, he was exempt from participating in gym. Coach had told Stiles that just before his confrontation with Flash, and something told Stiles that no matter what he did things were not going to be good with Flash, especially considering that Erica had a seizure in the same class as Stiles just about half an hour earlier.

Was it Stiles that had caused her seizure, or was it something else? It wasn't something he wanted to contemplate, that possibility of being the one that caused her pain inadvertently. His whole body was screaming with energy as he saw Lydia sit down next to him, with a weak smile on her face, and just barely hidden behind her strawberry blonde locks was the spider symbol he had made for her.

"Hey, you still have it."

"You know I never take it off, Stiles." she assured him, touching it lightly. "Jackson swears I'm too attached to this thing."

"Well, I mean if you have worn it every day since I gave it to you on your ninth birthday, maybe you are. No offense."

"None taken," Lydia rolled her eyes to him, and laughed lightly. "You know, I thought about taking it off, but every time I go to do it, I just can't bring myself to actually do it."

"Huh," was all he could reply with. "Sentimental value can be tough to get over. I know what it's like."

"Do you?"

"Yeah, I mean... look at my jeep, that thing is practically dead and I won't get rid it of it because of the sentimental value it has. It was my mother's jeep, and I can't bring myself to get anything different. It might cost me an arm and a leg to repair it but I'll do it every time." Stiles rubbed his arm lightly.

"Hey, in the general area of family, how is your dad?"

"He's doing okay, I guess. I mean, he doesn't really talk to me all that much, mostly because he works most of the day and when he gets home I'm either asleep or he passes out instantly. Recently he's been working on that whole serial killer case that's been freaking everybody out in Hell's Kitchen."

"The Identity Thief?" Lydia asked, raising her eyebrow to the mention of the case. "He's one of the people working on it?"

"The exact one. He decided he needed a set of fresh eyes and had me look at some stuff that wouldn't get either one of us in trouble and I helped him the best I could. Honestly he needs all the help he can get; between the multiple dead bodies showing up out of nowhere and those bank robberies, he's overwhelmed."

Lydia pursed her lips lightly, thinking for a moment and then smiled brightly. "Stiles, didn't you say that your mother was working on some kind of adhesive formula before she passed away?"

"How on earth do you remember that?"

"Stiles, it's me, Lydia Martin... I remember everything. Anyway, you told me about it right before I moved. Did you ever finish it? Maybe that could help the cops out a little bit."

"I never really finished it. In all honesty, I've tried to, but I'm not sure if I'm just overlooking a variable, or if I'm afraid to finish something my mother was working on before she died, but... I just haven't been able to finish it. I was honestly going to see if you'd be able to help me out with it in the next few days or something." Stiles chuckled scratching the back of his head as she eyed him curiously. "I mean, I know the idea of us hanging out is absurd and would ruin your image, but I would like for us to still have some sort of friendship outside of class."

"I'd like that too; and of course I'd love to help you out. Do you want to do it on Friday after school?"

"Friday's perfect."

"Good, it's a date." Lydia smiled before getting up and Stiles blushed heavily. "You know what I mean by that."

"Yeah, yeah... just a couple of old friends hanging out, doing some science stuff... it'll be great! Nothing awkward about that, nothing wrong with saying it's a date..." Stiles stammered as his voice squeaked and he felt his eyebrow twitch out of his nerves being rattled. "...because technically Friday is a date on the calendar, haha... date. Nothing awkward about the word _date_ or me talking still even though you're halfway across the gym now... haha..."

Stiles laid his head against the bleacher and groaned. "Idiot..."

 _Way to go Stiles, smooth... real smooth..._

He closed his eyes and after a moment he realized his hand was stuck to the wooden floorboards, and all of his rational sense went out of the window as he became frantic trying to get free, having forgotten to focus in that moment.

Stiles saw Lydia turn back to look at him in which he immediately laid on his side trying to do that iconic fireplace pose in a horrible manner, giving a nervous laugh.

In that split second between Lydia turning and Stiles busting into that pose, his hand ripped the floorboard off where he had pressed against and it had hit his face in one fell swoop.

She shook her head with a small smile and turned away right as Stiles internally screamed pulling the board's splinters out of his face. Stiles got to his feet and decided that he would do something rather than lay bored out of his mind the entire period.

 _Okay, so what to do, what to do? I could see if Coach would let me run to my locker to get some work, which technically I wouldn't be lying, it just wouldn't be school work. I need to figure out more about the Identity Thief if I want to help my Dad, but I also need to learn more about what happened at Oscorp with my mother. Something just doesn't seem right there, and why am I talking to myself, that's the first sign of going crazy, right? Yeah, that's definitely the first sign of going crazy. Maybe next period will be better with these things happening to me. Yeah, I'll see if Coach will let me go to my locker and I'll just get the notes on Oscorp. I've been meaning to take a look at them today anyway._

 _Now, whatever I do, do not mess up what I'm going to say to Coach. Do not say anything cocky or sarcastic Stiles... today is not the day to do that. I need to stay on his good side._

"Hey Coach! Can I go to my locker?"

"Why?" Coach asked hissing at him like a venomous snake. Stiles almost wanted to flinch but he stood his ground and almost immediately he knew what he was going to say and he felt terrible about it.

"I need to hide a body... I would have used the locker room but people go in there!" Stiles laughed, and Coach laughed right back putting his hand on his shoulder. "I mean, I need to get some work out of my locker."

"Ah, the old sarcasm defense. It's your calling card."

 _Calling card?_ Stiles thought to himself as something in his brain clicked and his hands clenched into fists.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"It's fine, it means you're intimidated... that's good. It's my job to make you afraid to disappoint me. That'll put you in a better position for the game."

"Aren't coaches supposed to give students hope?"

"Hope? When have I ever given you hope?"

"Never, that's the problem."

"Stilinski, go to your locker before I end up tearing you apart like a rabid dog." Stiles nodded before darting away, tripping on his way out. "I love the smell of fear in the morning."

* * *

The halls blurred as Stiles bolted faster than he had ever run before, and it felt like he was able to see everything. His footsteps matched the beating of his heart as he instinctively jumped into the air and swung around the corner, his body contorting into a strange position as he landed and rolled into a run. By the time he got to his locker it had been only a few seconds.

Pulling the journal and the Identity Thief evidence out Stiles turned to a page where he looked at the positioning of the bodies, and then thought back to when he was ten, and suddenly a picture began to form in his head.

The bodies laid out across Hell's Kitchen was spelling a C.. Stiles had no idea what that might have been spelling before now but suddenly it made sense as he pulled his phone out and called his father real quick to confirm his suspicions.

"Hello? Stiles why are you calling me during school again?"

"Hey, sorry... I need some info. Were there any serial killers in the past twenty years that used blood to spell out some kind of initials or something... like a calling card?"

"There was one right before you were born... Cletus Kasady. I know you heard of him, but he was called the Carnage Killer due to the state of his victims and also due to him painting his initials in blood on walls."

"C...K." Stiles' eyes grew wide with a wicked smile as his suspicions were confirmed. "Dad, I know what the Identity Thief was trying to spell out, C.K. as in Cletus Kasady."

"Are you one hundred percent sure?"

"Dad, it's the only thing I can see being possible. Think about it, the brutality of the murders, the bodies being laid out in a way that when dotted on a map spells a C... I think somebody is trying to copy Kasady in a way, or is inspired by him."

"If that's the case, then that most likely means there's more murders under this guy's resume. I should look back in some cold cases with similar circumstances."

"Dad, look for something sloppy. This guy hasn't just gotten good at cleaning up his mess, it had to have developed over many years... at least a decade based on the lacerations on the victims' faces. When he started he had to have messed up, maybe it wasn't able to be caught beforehand but then again..."

"We didn't have you helping back then. I'll let you know what I find." Stilinski assured him, before the two hung their phones up and Stiles grabbed his journal and went back to the gym right before class was about to let out.

With a black sharpie he wrote down underneath _The Identity Thief:_

* * *

 **Connection to Cletus Kasady?**

* * *

 _ **7th Period**_

* * *

Jackson stood in the small doorway to the nurse's office looking in on Flash visiting Erica while she was awaiting her parents' arrival. Flash would never say it to anyone other than Jackson, but Flash genuinely cared about Erica in a way that he had never cared about a person before. Everyone has their first love... Erica was Flash's first love.

Stiles wasn't necessarily in the cross-hairs when it came to Erica, but for whatever reason Flash had been all gung ho to get in Stiles' face. In fact, he was far too ready to fight Stiles that day they got into that altercation in the courtyard.

Why, Jackson wasn't entirely sure, but he had a feeling that it was something to do with Erica. Stiles had been confronted in the locker room today by Flash, and unbeknownst to either of them Jackson had been waiting around the corner listening when Flash made that remark about what Stiles supposedly did to Erica, and it left him confused.

Stiles and Erica were a model couple when they were together, and Stiles was not a violent person. Flash was a violent person, in the manner of how he would always get into a fight over the smallest thing, yet Stiles only got into a fight when it mattered. Stiles would get into a fight to protect someone, defend them, or when it came to doing the right thing. That was when Stiles would get involved, and the idea Stiles would do something rather heinous to Erica just left a strange sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He could hear him whispering words of encouragement about how she would be fine. However he didn't hear Stiles walking up until he was right on him, and it nearly made Jackson jump, but he managed to stop himself.

"Hey," was what Jackson managed to spit out as he choked on his saliva.

"Hey, how is she?"

"She's doing okay... her parents are running late. They were supposed to be out of the city for a few hours and _it_ happened right after they were already gone. You really shouldn't be here right now though."

"I know, that's why I'm whispering. I don't need Flash getting on my case again."

"You want to walk into the hallway to talk?" Jackson asked calmly, sincere with his words. Stiles nodded lightly as Jackson patted him on the shoulder and they walked out of the nurse's office. Stiles leaned against the locker running his hands through his hair. "So, what happened?"

"I don't know, honestly. We were in Chemistry and I had given her a locket that she had lost a long time ago; she was okay and then something happened when Mr. Harris walked in and suddenly she fell and well, you know the rest. I don't know what caused it."

"Stiles, I heard what Flash said in the locker room when he got in your face. What was he talking about?"

"I really have no idea what he was talking about. I've never laid a hand on Erica that would have caused her any pain. When I saw Erica in Chemistry she had a really bad scar on her arm, I'm wondering if Flash thinks I had something to do with that."

"Look, I know you're not a bad guy Stiles... I know you were something with Lydia as kids, I don't know if you classified it as being friends, but if she thinks you're a good guy, then I won't doubt her or you. I'll keep Flash off of you the best I can, just try to avoid him the best you can okay?" Jackson informed him, and Stiles gave a thumbs up. "I'm personally glad you're playing the next game."

"Why?"

"We might actually stand a chance of winning the championship if you're good at playing. I don't know what was different today, but if you want to practice let me know and I'll be happy to help."

"Sure, I could use all the practice that I can. I need to get to class though, I'll see you later. If you see Harry, tell him I grabbed his work from today."

"Okay, I'll let him know. See ya around, Stilinski."

Stiles waved goodbye as he walked his way to his class, beaming knowing that for once things were finally looking up for him. Of course Flash was a problem, but overall today had been great.

* * *

 **Osborn Manor**

* * *

"Primary dosage appears to have slowed the disease's progression for the meantime and restored you to a healthier state, Mr. Osborn." Octavius spoke with a coldness and hiss that made Norman's nose crinkle in disgust. "However, this does not mean by a long shot that the disease is done with you. Without anymore doses, the disease will get worse. At best this has given you more time to search for a permanent solution."

"Why couldn't you just up the dosage and finish this?"

"Sir, the serum has killed hosts before in the same dosage you are suggesting, and it was injected into a specimen much larger than yourself. I am not taking chances. We'll take steady steps to ensure you live through the doses."

"Thank you for the information Doctor." Norman hissed as he wiped the injection point in his arm, sighing as he remembered how he had looked before the dosage a mere twenty four hours ago. Norman had been pale and the skin on his face had purplish veins and vomit green hue on the skin around said veins. Now he simply had bags under his eyes; it was a bloody miracle.

At that moment Justin opened the door with a tablet in hand and he looked rather nervous.

"Sir... we took stock of the labs after the break in, it turns out one of the spiders... more notably... the X-95 spider was taken. And we recovered footage from the lab. There was someone in there. A teenager... the same one who left the group when that young man threw up."

Norman Osborn looked at Justin before pulling up the security footage to see the image of Stiles Stilinski in the restricted lab and raised an eyebrow.

"Keep eyes on that boy..."


	19. The Spider's Agility

_Chapter Eighteen: The Spider's Agility_

* * *

 ** _1995_**

* * *

 _It wasn't exactly the best time, considering what had happened a month earlier concerning the Subject Zero escape. Norman was under fire over the mysterious deaths of General Slocum, Mr. Fargas, and Mr. Balkan, as they believed Norman had something to do with their deaths. Quest Aerospace wasn't exactly the safest company out there, and it wasn't that far off that their supposed super soldier serum was unstable, much like how the early versions of the Lycan Serum was. The only perfect test subject they had so far was Subject Zero: Derek Hale._

 _With Hale being gone and having disappeared into the sunset, Norman needed to find something new that would progress things along, but at the very moment that was not his main concern. Today was a good day, Norman told himself as he heard his phone ring and he answered. It was his beloved wife, Emily calling him to inform him that she was going into labor and was going to the hospital._

 _That was how it all started, Norman had told himself. It was the moment where he truly felt like he was equal with his inner light and darkness. For that day he felt in tune with who he truly was._

 _How could he not be happy? Today his son would be born into the world, and he would get to spend the next eighteen years with his wife watching him grow into the man Norman could only dream of._

 _When he got to the hospital, it was a long excruciating five hours, which by far was not that long considering some births took well over the twelve hour mark, even breaching the terrifying twenty hour mark... Norman cringed at the mere thought of it._

 _He had been so happy, for the first time Norman had been genuinely happy. There was nothing that could ruin his joy, after all... he had a family of his own now._

 _Then out of nowhere that joy went down the drain, and all he could feel was despair and horror. Emily became ill following the birth, and as Norman learned she had amniotic fluid embolism, and nobody had known about it until it was far too late. She passed away a few hours later in her sleep, and Norman... he felt like he had woken up to a world of nightmares._

 _The love of his life was gone, and he was going to be a single father. It was going to be the hardest thing he had ever faced, and he didn't know how he was going to do it._

 _So, there Norman was kneeling at his wife's bedside, holding her hand pleading for her to come back. "Emily... please, please... don't leave me. I can't do this without you."_

 _Behind him was his butler, Bernard whom had been a trusted servant and family member to Norman since he himself was about twenty. Norman felt Bernard's hand on his shoulder, and he turned to the closest thing he had to a friend._

 _"Mr. Osborn, I know you are grieving, but you are not alone. She might not get to see first hand how your beautiful baby boy will grow up, but she is still here. She will never leave you, the people we love never really leave us." Bernard gave a weak smile, to which Norman wiped the only tears he had ever shed in front of the butler, and nodded. "Now, as much as you should grieve, there is a matter at hand you need to contend with..."_

 _"What do I need to contend with at a time like this?"_

 _"You have a son that needs his father. You know as well as I do that family is the most important thing; what did she name him?"_

 _"Harold... she named him Harold."_

* * *

 ** _Wednesday,_ _August 22nd_**

 ** _2012_**

* * *

Norman opened his eyes as he noticed his sleeping wife beside him, a content smile on her face. He gave a weak one himself as he knew that deep down she was in a lot of pain just like he was; how could she not, considering that she was going to possibly face the death of her second husband.

Margaret might not have been Emily, but Norman still loved her nevertheless. In all honesty Norman thought he would never love again after Emily died soon after Harry's birth, an unfortunate event that left Norman truly heartbroken over the matter. Emily Osborn was Norman's first love, and when she died it felt like a piece of him had died too.

At the time Norman was just getting into the swing of things at Oscorp as CEO and he had no idea as to how he was supposed to raise a child by himself, but he managed to figure it out. Harry might not have had the best life, but he had a better foundation than most did. Now, Harry might believe that the financial support he has might be holding him back, but Norman knew that his son was a lot better off in the end because he didn't have to grow up the way Norman did. Norman had fought for everything he had earned, and even now he was fighting to just stay alive.

This was something he needed to confront eventually with Harry, because he was running out of time. Norman was not the greatest father by far, but he knew as well as anyone that Harry needed him, a lot more than Harry realized. With less than five months to live, Norman was running out of time to spend with his son.

Norman sighed as he rolled over facing away from Margaret, covering his back up with the blanket so if she woke up she did not see the horrendous condition of his body. How was it that he was supposed to put up this steel wall and act like he was the scariest being in Manhattan when in actuality he was falling apart at the seams?

With the morning sun peeking through the curtains, Norman almost felt like he was at peace, safe from his worries and the inevitability of death in only a few months time.

However, he would lose that sensation as soon as he got up, because the life of Norman Osborn was not that of luxury, but rather that of a dark corporate affairs. Stiles Stilinski was his primary target right now... all because of the incident at the Hempstead facility.

Even now, with Norman's body slowly failing him, all he could focus on was this new possibility that his Arachne had been in front of him all these years... now he had to confirm his suspicions. If Stiles Stilinski was a match with the X-95 and became a Cross Species, then he could find the cure to his illness. Stiles Stilinski could be the one to save Norman's life, whether he wanted to or not.

Something was in the air that day, and Norman had a feeling his suspicions would be answered soon enough...

Slipping out of bed, Norman reached for his shirt, trying to get it on before Margaret would wake up and see the purplish-green toned skin where the disease was eating him from the inside, but his arm began trembling as soon as he dared to lift it. He growled lightly, standing up and grabbing at the cotton fabric forcing his way through the pain as he felt his arm lock up once it straightened completely.

He heard the wooden creak that his door made, it was a distinct sound Norman recognized because he normally heard it in the mornings when Harry was a little boy and had nightmares and came to his father for comfort. Now, as Norman looked up he saw Harry standing there rubbing the back of his head.

"H-Harry..." was all Norman could say as Harry walked in and grabbed the shirt and pulled it over Norman's back. "...you know?"

"I know enough. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"I'm sorry about keeping this from you, I just didn't want to worry you."

"You're my Dad, it's my job to worry about you. After all, family sticks together right? It's the most important thing to us Osborn men." Harry smiled lightly as Norman slipped the sleeve on and grabbed his locked up arm trying to get it to bend. "How long have you been sick?"

"A long time, Harry... since before you were born. It's getting to the point of no return now Harry."

"Is that why I heard you talking with Justin over who's going to run the company after you decide to step down, or is that another way of saying when you die?" Harry's voice cracked as he said that three lettered word, and Norman sighed as he put his arm around Harry bringing him into a hug.

"I'm not going anywhere, not yet. I'm not leaving you Harry. I'm going to make sure I see you graduate, get married, and see the grandchildren your mother would have adored. I promise you that."

"Of course you will," was the only thing Harry could come up with as Norman sighed and lifted his head up with a smile.

"Son, how about we go get something to eat at that Italian place you love so much before you go to school today?"

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Certainly, I think I should take some time away from my work and focus on what's really important. So, how about it?"

"Of course! I'll go get dressed." Harry beamed as he hugged his father once more and went to go to his room.

Norman felt his arm finally bend and with it a bright grin formed on his face as he buttoned his shirt up and within a matter of a second he went from joyous to serious as the name Stiles Stilinski echoed in the back of his head.

"Looks like history is going to repeat itself." Norman hissed as he put the final button in place and cracked his knuckles. "Perhaps you'll be more useful than your insolent mother Stiles."

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN FIVE GRAND?!" Stiles exclaimed as he got the bill for his jeep an hour later and found himself nearly dying from the shock. The mechanic rolled his eyes as he put the rag down on the counter and just glared at him with the wrath of god. "You told me two grand on the phone!"

"That was before the work started... you needed a new radiator, gas lines..." the mechanic explained everything he had to fix and Stiles was waiting for the comment about the duct tape, oh how he would say the duct tape would be a rather large comment. "Not to mention the absurd amount of duct tape. You do know that duct tape doesn't fix everything right?"

 _Well it can fix something but I could go to jail because of it..._ Stiles thought to himself crossing his arms.

"Of course, but it was the only alternative I had at the time. Can we work something out, because I'll need to sell half of my organs just to pay for that."

"Look, I'll give you a few weeks to pay, how much do you have right now?"

"I got the two grand as you said on the phone." Stiles sighed, pulling the money out of his bag and handing it to the mechanic. He practically felt his will to live leave his body with the money, however he didn't say a word as the mechanic told him that he had until the beginning of next month to pay the other three grand. Where the hell was he supposed to get that kind of money in that short amount of time?

Today was just turning out to be freaking wonderful. After yesterday with Flash basically accusing him of possibly abusing Erica, Stiles had been in a grouchy mood. Sure with the fact Jackson believed Stiles was innocent of that matter, he felt better but it didn't mean he wasn't upset about it still.

Some things were just not going his way right now, and with what money he had left, considering he didn't tell the mechanic how much he had exactly, Stiles still had to go buy groceries to replace the stuff he had eaten the other night.

Strangely enough after the strange events of yesterday with the buzzing in his head, the strange new muscle definition, and all the other stuff that happened, Stiles had been normal today without any new developments or strange altercations with these abilities he had seemingly developed.

Was there a possibility it was just a fluke, maybe having been injected with some kind of super drug or something which would explain a lot, not the muscles though; Stiles knew though that deep down it wasn't a drug... it had to be that spider.

Stiles fixed his jacket as he watched the mechanic grab the keys out of the jeep and walk back over to him.

"Here you go kid, I expect to see you before the deadline?"

"Of course," Stiles sighed as he still wondered how on earth he was going to get the other three grand.

* * *

The woman in the wheelchair sighed contently as she tapped the arm with a rhythm similar to that of the theme from Jaws. She was tapping slowly, but as the minutes went on she would tap ever so slightly quicker.

"The hour of our meeting is closing upon us, Mieczyslaw... today we shall meet. Will you be prepared for what I have to tell you, or will you fall? Hmm, only time will tell. Even I cannot see the final outcome out of the road that lies ahead for you... but I suspect by the time our meeting is over, I will see what will become of you. The unstoppable is about to be unleashed before your very eyes..."

* * *

 _Five grand for this thing? I'm not even sure that this jeep is technically worth that much, but I can't just not pay it. God I have to stop talking to myself, it's not healthy. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up in Beloit if I don't. Last thing I need is to be locked up with the lunatics._

The jeep ran far better than before, Stiles noted as he began driving towards the Queensboro Bridge to go home. The overall school day had been in a nutshell, a drag. He hadn't seen Erica there today, as she was most likely still recovering at home from her seizure; Stiles was still curious as to what might have caused her to have one because that was far too random.

Maybe he was seeing this as something it wasn't, but the fact was that buzzing, or whatever it was had been going off right before Erica had her seizure, and she had been looking at Harris right when it happened... so if it wasn't just a coincidence, what could that possibly mean?

Stiles decided to think on it after he got home so he could focus on driving when he heard screeching tires and the bending of metal as screams echoed through the air all while he witnessed a car go flying up into the air... and that buzzing in his head went off again.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed as he hit the brakes and hit reverse just in time to dodge the incoming projectile. A sickening crunch of metal bending and hitting the ground was all Stiles could hear among screams as he hit park and got out quickly.

His eyesight zoomed in as another car flew up into the air almost a moment later and through the crowd running away, pushing through the line of cars, Stiles saw someone running right into the cars. _Could that be... there's no way..._

He was wearing a large crimson helmet on his head, and Stiles could practically feel the momentum from that man, and it made his body shake with fear. As he threw four more cars into the air Stiles felt time seemingly slow down and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. This was the mutant known as the Juggernaut, there was no doubt in Stiles' mind about it, not one single bit.

Stiles stepped forward hopping onto the back of a car in front of him and watched as the Juggernaut slid to a stop on the bridge and looked him dead in the eye and smiled towards him. Now, Stiles had seen the news reports about this guy, and he had to say now, the footage did not do the behemoth justice.

He could see that the mutant's muscles were bigger than his actual head... covered in sweat making it shine in the afternoon sun. Stiles could hear the screams still as he saw vehicles stuck above the bridge in the cross beams, dangling dangerously. If any extra weight was added in the wrong spot, the cars would come crashing down to either the bridge itself, or the waters below.

Stiles shook lightly at the thought of having people die because nobody else could save them, yet the teenager began wondering what he was going to do. Wait, what was he going to do? He was Stiles Stilinski, a normal dweeb that couldn't save a person if it was to even save his own life. However, that was before he developed these strange abilities. The images of what he could do played back through his mind.

He imagined how he could fly through the air freely and how weightless he felt during it, how he could stick to surfaces (something he hadn't experimented with yet, but there was no time like the present) as he recalled the train incident as he had stuck to the ceiling. Stiles didn't exactly know what he could do to his full extent but he had to try something.

Juggernaut looked into the sky and Stiles looked also to see a black jet fly overhead and the teenager could see the anger on the mutant's face even if it was mostly hidden behind the helmet. Stiles couldn't help but wonder what in god's name that black jet was, or rather who it belonged to. He had a slight clue as to who it might have been, but he didn't want to take any guesses in the off chance he was very, very wrong on his guess.

Stiles watched as the Juggernaut growled and turned heel, running towards Queens, unfortunately the area Stiles was heading towards; well it wasn't unfortunate because he was far away from Juggernaut and his jeep was safe, but unfortunate in the case of people being in danger that he lived near. The black jet flew after Juggernaut's trail of destruction. Stiles might have heard something about "Xavier" come from Juggernaut, but he wasn't exactly paying attention as he looked at all the vehicles that were damaged and flipped over, or even in the air.

Juggernaut may have only been there for a couple seconds, but that damage was far more than just a few hours work. There was no wonder that Juggernaut was notorious for his rampages. He wondered how Juggernaut had escaped Ryker's Island, which he had heard from his father that the guy had been on the lowest part of the island in a special cell used to stop him from escaping. The only way Stiles could figure he escaped was from outside help. He stopped thinking about that at the moment as he turned back to the situation at hand. There was a car teeter-tottering off of the side of the bridge, and there were three people inside the vehicle unable to move, having been knocked out during the crash.

Besides that car there was two that had collided and fire was spreading towards them, a spark having ignited leaking gas from a pierced gas tank. Stiles felt that strange buzzing in the back of his head go off, and he had recently called it his Spider Sense due to it being connected to the spider bite.

Stiles knew that the task at hand required him to get to the two cars in the path of the burning trail of gasoline, and before he could even think his feet was moving already. He was moving quickly, jumping over cars like it was just an average task for himself now. Police sirens and ambulances were coming, along with fire trucks, but Stiles didn't have to take a guess and say it would be too late before that fire reached the cars.

 _Okay, time to see how fast I can really go_. He thought to himself as he pushed himself forward, using his right hand to send himself propelling through the air as he felt everything around himself slow down, and he looked towards the flames. The flames were barely moving to his astonishment, and Stiles looked. The people running were even looking like they were standing still for a brief few moments before they started speeding back up. What was this? Stiles felt the energy in his veins when he was like that, and now he smiled brightly as he realized this was his reaction time speeding up to the point where everything looked to be frozen in time. From what he had to guess it was most likely just a split second thing but to him it was a few seconds. A few seconds was going to be all that he needed, hopefully.

He reached the cars and looked at the drivers using this _rush mode_ that he had now discovered, he would try to think of a cooler name for it later on. They were frozen in time, just as before, except now Stiles could focus in on their features and the surroundings they were now trapped in.

On the left car, a yellow 2011 Camry was pressed against a flipped over red and black Dodge Ram, the Camry's driver side door having been dented inward and most likely would not be able to get out that way without a lot of force. Stiles could see that the other doors were also blocked off by the upside down truck and the car on the right of the Camry, a dingy SUV that was smashed in more places than Stiles could even count. By his estimate his best chances were, if he was able to: rip the driver door off of the Camry and pull the driver out that way, and then go for the SUV driver.

Stiles' enhanced reaction time went back to normal and he watched as the flames started speeding back up to their actual acceleration. He probably had about thirty seconds before the flames reached the damaged cars, and he had to hurry. The police were just about to the bridge, and Stiles didn't need the police to know that he of all people had superhuman abilities, if that was what he had at this point. He was still wondering if he was hallucinating, but he was hoping to god it was true.

The teenager ran to the Camry, and looked at the window which was broken open, the driver unconscious. Stiles grabbed the door by the open windowsill and pulled as hard as he could, however he was shocked to have gone flying backwards with the door in hand. He dropped it and rolled backwards onto his feet. He raced over to the driver and pulled her out, a young woman in her early twenties, wearing a spaghetti strap tank top and ripped blue jeans, along with a pair of blue Adidas to complete her outfit. Pulling the seat-belt off of her, he lifted her into his arms carefully, and raced to safety, which was about fifty feet away. He was thankful for his heightened abilities, as he was able to run far distances in short amounts of time. He turned back and saw the flames were now about fifteen feet away from the SUV.

He raced back over to the SUV, opening the door and knowing there was no time to just remove the seat-belt and then carry him out of the way, Stiles opted for a faster solution. He ripped the driver out of the vehicle with the seat and seat-belt together. By the time he managed to put the driver down beside the Camry's owner, the gasoline had ignited on the vehicles and an explosion occurred moments later.

 _Oh thank god, looks like I'm actually not hallucinating, because I could feel the heat from that explosion from over here._

Stiles looked at the owners that were starting to come to, in which he turned towards the vehicles stuck up in the cross beams leading up to the top of the bridge, and he looked at a pillar going straight up to it.

He had never tried to crawl up a wall, and right about now it was a time for a trial by fire. At this point it wasn't his own thoughts throwing him forward, it was something else, it was instinct.

Stiles looked at his hands, and noticed as his sight zoomed in on the tiny hairs on his fingers that the hairs were barbed... He smiled right then and there before he ran forward into the chaos.

* * *

"I want a perimeter set up now!" Stilinski ordered as he arrived to the scene on Queensboro Bridge, having heard that the Juggernaut had torn through the vehicles like they were just bowling pins. He could see the two drivers being escorted by firefighters to safety, and Stilinski could have sworn he saw somebody climbing up to a vehicle stuck in the cross beams. He scratched his head in confusion as he looked to his left to find Stiles' iconic jeep sitting there untouched by the chaos. "Stiles?"

The thought of his son being here sent a surge of fear racing through his veins as the only thing he could focus on now was finding his son, wherever he might be...

* * *

There was a heavy wind up near the teeter-tottering vehicles as Stiles got up alongside them, being as careful as he could. He could see only one person in a vehicle up here from what he could tell, which was why he took the time to climb around all of the vehicles to see who was up there, and to his disgust and disbelief, an unconscious Flash Thompson was lying face first against the dash.

 _Well well well, look what we have here..._ Stiles thought to himself with a small smile on his face. _Poor defenseless Flash, probably the first time he's ever been this vulnerable. Now, I could just leave him up here, and hope he wakes up and ends up screaming for his mommy... but then again I'm not like Flash. I'm actually a decent human being. I can't leave him up here, not when there's a chance of the car falling down in the meantime. God I hate being a good person sometimes._

Stiles opened Flash's door slowly and carefully, trying to not throw the balance of the car off, knowing he would have to act faster than he would be able to if he failed. He reached in and unbuckled Flash's seat-belt before picking the jock up into his arms, and getting towards the side so he could make this look as normal as possible without revealing he had superhuman abilities. Well, climbing up the bridge like a spider wasn't the best idea but he got up there quick enough, but getting down, that would be a different story.

He was probably about two stories from the road, and to be honest he was afraid of heights to a degree. Stiles felt a little bit nauseous before he shook it off and his mind went blank before he jumped down.

With a loud thud he landed on his feet holding Flash in his arms still and laid him down as the paramedics and firefighters raced over, and Stiles had to pretend that he had climbed down from the side with Flash.

"Hey! He needs help!" Stiles called over one of the paramedics who immediately began giving Flash medical attention. "I think he hit the dash when the car crashed. He ended up in the cross beams up there." He pointed at the car in which the paramedic looked dumbfounded for a moment.

"How did he get down here if he was up in that car?"

"I climbed up there and got him down. I didn't want to take the chance of the car falling before help arrived."

"Well, kid, you might have saved this guy's life. I'm sure your parents would be proud of you, although that was a very dangerous stunt you did in the process."

"Yeah, I'm sure they would be..." Stiles sighed as he looked up to see his father looking at him with relief and anger, a combination of emotions he had a feeling he would be seeing a lot more in the upcoming future.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?! You climbed up there risking your own life to save a person when there were professionals almost here?!" Stilinski asked him sternly as they stood alongside Stiles' jeep, to which Stiles rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You could have gotten yourself killed, what was going on in your mind?"

"I was trying to be like you Dad! You're the one that lives by the code, protect and serve. How am I supposed to not try to be like you when you're the only person I've ever looked up to! What was I supposed to do? Just let him die?"

"The risk was too great Stiles!"

"Dad, I don't care what you think about this, I saved his life, and all you're doing to trying to lecture me because you think I can't be a cop like you. Have you ever considered what I want?"

"Stiles, I have always-"

"Don't you dare give me that bull," Stiles hissed pointing a finger at his father as he opened the door to the jeep. "You're trying to treat me like I'm still that eight year old that lost his mother. I'm sixteen, I'm fully capable of making my own decisions, and whether you like it or not, I saved a person's life. Instead of trying to make me stay out of the way, actually say: _I'm proud of you, Stiles..._ For once could you just give me that? Could you?"

"I..." Stilinski tried to say that he was proud of him for doing the right thing, but Stiles cut him off before he could even really start.

"Mom would have..." Stiles shut his door and drove off in a hurry leaving Stilinski standing there with his head lowered.

* * *

As Stiles parked in an alley a few blocks away he stepped out of the jeep and sat down against the wall of the building. He was upset that his father was so against him being even remotely like him.

Why was it so hard for Stilinski to realize that Stiles was almost an adult now, and had to basically raise himself for the past four years because Stilinski was either at work, or when he was home was awake for half an hour and they didn't end up seeing each other for more than twenty minutes.

He growled in annoyance as he thought about the whole Identity Thief case and how Stilinski had let him help, and then Stiles shook his head. That was the only way Stiles would no longer eavesdrop on him, to give him something to focus on and it made him irritated to no end. Stiles was just angry and needed to cool off, and after a while he did, realizing his father was just worried about him and went to get up having closed his eyes for a few seconds and found he was no longer in an alley but in a dark room, facing a woman in a wheelchair, and her outfit was strange... a silky red dress that ran onto the floor, and a bright white spider like symbol on her chest. The strangest part, was that behind the wheelchair was a very intricate set of machinery that was in the shape of a spider web.

"Where am I?" Stiles asked slowly, his voice full of confusion.

"You're in a safe place, Mieczyslaw." the woman said with a smile on her face, and Stiles noticed she had a blindfold over her eyes.

"H-how do you know my name, my real name?"

"I know a lot of things Mr. Stilinski, and I know about your powers. It appears destiny has dire intentions for you, my friend... we have a lot to talk about."

Stiles felt he had dropped into another universe, one where nothing made sense at all.

"Oh, and you may call me Madame Web."


	20. A Dire Warning

_Chapter Nineteen: A Dire Warning_

* * *

So here he stood in this dark room, a strange blue-gray mist swirling around him as he watched this old frail woman with a blindfold over her eyes sat there with a small smile on her face, and all Stiles could do right now was wonder who this _Madame Web_ character was and what exactly she wanted from him. He would have said a word but he was more focused on the intensity of the weirdness that was radiating around the room... it was like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

"I can assure you, this is not the Twilight Zone you are in Mieczyslaw." Madame Web snickered lightly as she placed her hands on her lap. Stiles gave her a blink of surprise.

 _Did she just hear my thoughts? Who is she?_

"I told you who I am... and I hear and know more than your trivial thoughts. That is the least of your and my own concerns right now. Please, take a seat."

"I'd rather not, because I want some answers and I don't know whether to trust you or not, because I was taught to not talk to strange people with psychic powers that sit in a dark room all day."

Madame Web sighed trying to hold back a laugh before she held her hand up towards him. "Listen to me Mieczyslaw, we do not have much time to speak. I am afraid that you have fallen into a web that you can't escape... at least not in your current state."

"A web? What are you talking about?"

"I suppose that some context would be helpful... you have begun searching through many threads of secrets about the people you know, and even the ones you don't. You yearn to find out the truth about what happened to your mother, whether or not it was her dementia that killed her, or something else... rather someone else. It is because of this that you found yourself in the Oscorp facility in Hempstead in search of her research, yet you found more. By digging you uncovered Derek Hale, or as you knew him at the beginning, Subject Zero... how Norman Osborn believed him to be the answer for his illness, yet your mother saved Derek from being a guinea pig for the rest of his life. At the very same time you have found yourself brought into the investigation into the serial killer that many have dubbed the Identity Thief... all of these connections appear to be just coincidence right?"

"I suppose that might be the right word for it," Stiles shrugged, to which Madame Web leaned forward slowly and gave him a tender smile.

"I suppose..." she repeated his words, "Funny thing isn't it Mieczyslaw? Many people like to think that everything happens for a reason, right? That it might be fate that certain events happen. Like many things, love is one such occasion that can happen by chance, but even then fate can have strange timing with it. You could find your true love but it could be at the wrong time so it doesn't work out, even if they were _meant to be._ Well, fate is real, whether anyone likes to admit it or not. The Web of Destiny is something that you can't break from, no matter what you try to do... you see, you unknowingly became a part of that web when you found the X-95 in the Hempstead facility unknowingly. With that spider bite, the intricate strings of the Web of Destiny tangled, beginning a new story... your story. Whatever you do with this story, is up to you to decide.

"However, with every story there has to be the antagonist, doesn't there? Always that one center point of conflict, such as David and Goliath..."

"Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, James Bond vs. whoever the film's villain is, Frodo and Sauron."

"My point being is that your story has already revealed its main antagonist... Norman Osborn." Stiles watched in astonishment as from the mist came an image of Norman Osborn whose face was tinted by the mist having turned dark green. "He was there through it all, the end of your mother's story, the beginning of Derek Hale's, and now he'll be the one you face through your story. He won't stop until he gets what he wants from you."

"What is that, exactly?"

"Your blood. It's the key to saving his life, and he doesn't care how far he has to go to it. He'll bring everyone you care about into the crossfire if he must. Norman Osborn is the monster you won't be able to stop, even with your abilities now. He is too powerful."

"I don't want to stop anyone, I'm not a hero... I'm just some kid that got bit by a spider and gained powers."

"Was it merely a coincidence though Mr. Stilinski? Think about it, the chances of being bitten by that specific spider were far too low. Say it must be a coincidence but you know deep down that it is destiny's work at hand."

"It doesn't matter what _destiny_ wants to happen to me, I'm not going to fight Norman Osborn or anyone else for that matter! I shouldn't have gotten these powers!"

"Everyone gets what they deserve. Do you know a famous quote Abraham Lincoln once said? Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power... Those who do deserve power don't want it... those who do not are the ones to flaunt it off so easily. What kind of a man are you... Stiles Stilinski?"

"I'm just a teenager that wants to find my place in the world, and that does not mean going against someone like Norman Osborn, or people with guns or anything of the sort like that! I'm not cut out to be some sort of superhero!"

"You won't be! Especially with what's coming. There's a reason I said you can't stop Norman Osborn, because he's about to win this fight before it's even begun."

"What are you talking about?"

"Listen to me, Mr. Stilinski... Norman is not afraid to take a life... and that's why I want to warn you, so you can at least be prepared for it to happen. You will die at the hands of Norman Osborn..."

"What?!" Stiles asked in shock as he saw a new image form from the mist, and it was one of him laying on the ground, bruised, bloodied, covered in water as a spark from a broken light fell to the ground beside his face. Above him stood Norman Osborn holding a vial of the teenager's blood.

"He will win..."

 _No, I can't die... I don't even look older, wh, I can't just die. I don't even have a ring on my finger... I won't have a wife, any kids, I won't have a life for myself._

"I'm afraid that is what I've seen. Your fate is sealed I'm afraid."

"No, you're wrong... this isn't going to happen!" Stiles yelled throwing his hand up in shock and anger and Madame Web sighed in disappointment as he continued to spout out nonsense about how she was wrong.

"This is why I told you to sit, it's the normal thing to do when your world is about to turn upside down." Madame Web snapped her finger as the room turned upside down and Stiles fell onto the ceiling/floor. He grunted loudly before launching back to Madame Web, clinging to the floor/ceiling. "Listen to me... you have nothing to fear... while you adjust to this, I suggest you try to lessen the pain and accomplish something to cement your legacy... you could be the one to bring the Identity Thief to justice." Madame Web smiled sweetly.

"The Identity Thief, do you know who he is?"

"I do not know, I have not seen his face, even in the visions of the deaths of his victims I have never seen him. However, I do know his intentions... he is looking for someone, just like the previous victims. Someone that he didn't kill because she was like him in a sense, someone who had survived the same exact torture. He would have killed her but she escaped, and now he believes she is his equal. He is looking for her, and won't stop until he has her in his hands. You need to find her, Mieczyslaw, stop him before he fails in his task of making her his equal and kills her in the process..."

"How do I find her? If I can't, how should I try to find the Identity Thief?"

"Just follow the trail of bodies, starting with that of Camden Lahey... his first victim."

"His first victim?"

"Please, you knew it as well as anyone else that was on the case that his victims had to have gone farther back than a month ago. He's been killing longer than you've known Erica Reyes. As a matter of fact, only a few weeks longer."

"If you know when he started killing and who he's killed, why don't you know who he is?"

"I don't know, something about him masks who he is, I cannot tell who he is. All I know is that he is looking for a female that escaped him... every killer has a beginning Stiles, you just have to find his."

"Yeah, it'd be nice to have a place to start."

"Mr. Stilinski, I believe you already have your place to start... you said it yourself when you spoke to your father about finding a connection. He would have been sloppy back then, there would have been evidence of some kind. From what I remember, Camden Lahey was murdered in the parking lot of Midtown High, perhaps there were some cameras there that you could look at."

"Is this a guess or are you just trying to be a jerk and act like you didn't see them in your psychic visions?" Stiles asked biting his lower lip.

"Hmm, who knows, after all I'm just a creep in a wheelchair." Madame Web's snarky personality having been a little more powerful than Stiles' and the teen blushed out of embarrassment for his previous thought about her. "Before you leave, I must inform you of something... your death,"

"Look I don't want to know anything about my death okay? I have more important things to worry about." Stiles waved goodbye as Madame Web twisted her hand and the room opened to reveal the alley. He stepped out as the room began to shut again.

"It's about Lydia Martin!" she tried to get out before the room shut and she cursed quietly to herself.

 _We'll see each other again Stilinski... as a matter of fact much sooner than you might expect._

Stiles Stilinski's death wasn't as Madame Web had implied, but Stiles couldn't know that because his next step to becoming who he was destined to become was to embrace his death in order to save someone's life. That was the only way he could truly become a hero...

"The wrath of a _god_ will kill the spinstress, but the spinstress will be reborn as something more..." Madame Web smiled as she saw an image of a black spider symbol laying against a red webbed fabric...

* * *

Queens

* * *

The scream had led him into a trap... he had never felt so stupid, not even when he made the decision to leave his home the night of the fire. If he had been home, he believed his family might have still been alive.

Derek Hale fell to his knees, blood dripping from open cuts on his face, and the red liquid trailing down his arms as he slipped into the small warehouse that had been abandoned and he looked at the door, having shut it just before his collapse.

He had been running ever since, and they were right on his trail. One of those things, he could handle, but an onslaught of them, there was no way he could even keep up. It had been twenty-six hours since he had began running from these freaks, yet they were still on his trail, never giving up, never tiring...

Derek gasped for air as he crawled behind a couple of boxes and hid in the shadows. He needed help, and fast. It was only a matter of time before those things caught up with him, and that door wouldn't hold; he was not even close to being in shape for a fight, but there was going to be no choice unless he found someone to help him. He thought about what he had done when he had entered the Stilinski household, and how he hid in the attic to make sure that Shaw never showed up and attacked Stiles or his father. Derek had taken the opportunity to put his phone number in Stiles' contacts, having seen it as a possible lifeline if they ever met, and considering they had met, this was the closest thing to a lifeline he would get.

His blood stained hand shook as he reached into his pocket and dialed Stiles' number. He heard the phone ring, and ring, and ring... but there was no answer from Stiles.

"Damn," he exhaled as he pushed himself into the darkest corner in the room as he heard a metallic noise closing in on the warehouse. The door he came through clang with heavy force, and with each hit Derek flinched out of worry, not fear, but worry. If he didn't get out of here, his sisters would never be saved, and he couldn't let them down now. "Come on, Stiles... answer the phone."

The phone rang as the door to the warehouse came off of its hinges and fell to the ground as four of the same robots from the Hempstead facility stepped in, their eyes glowing a bright red, an obvious mocking of Derek.

Derek had blue eyes, meaning he was a beta that had killed an innocent, (a choice he didn't make easily) and red eyes meant the person was an Alpha. Norman Osborn was trying to say he was superior to Derek, and right about now it was pretty apparent he was. However, Derek knew that there was one variable in this fight that Norman wouldn't expect from someone like Derek... outside help.

"Hello?" Stiles' voice came over the phone and Derek smiled brightly. "Derek? How did you put your number in my contacts?"

"Don't worry about that right now," Derek ordered in a hushed voice. "I need your help... you remember that robot that attacked you in that rotunda at that field trip of yours?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I've got like four of these things trying to either capture me or kill me, and something tells me it doesn't matter if I'm dead or alive... how fast can you get to where I am?"

"Depends, where are you?"

"Waterfront, Queens... just find the warehouse with the broken door!"

"I'm on my way!" Stiles assured him before hanging up and Derek stumbled onto his hands and knees, crawling slowly towards the back of the warehouse where he hoped he would be farther from the robots' reach.

" _Subject Zero, the origin of the Cross Species Project. Do you think I can just let you go, especially with all that I can accomplish with your blood? It's a pity, really... after all that talk about how you're not able to be controlled, yet here you are. You're a wild animal cornered, except this time you can't fight back, I've ensured that now. Don't you just love the modifications Allistaire Smythe made to his Hunters? To think it was merely less than twenty-four hours and he had built a new mark. I am truly disappointed that you are just too stupid to even comprehend the magnificent creation that will be your downfall._ " Norman's voice echoed through the intercom as Derek snarled lightly, trying to keep his noise levels to a minimum. " _Come now, Derek... don't make this any harder than it has to be. You're already weakened because of the new adjustment we've made to our lasers. It's not because you're exhausted that you're on your last leg right now, it's because you've been poisoned you buffoon. Those lasers were firing energized aconite, or should I say for you, wolf's bane. Funny thing about wolf's bane, you can spell it as if it's the bane of a wolf's life, or wolvesbayne, which is associated with a werewolf. Either way you spell it, it still spells the same thing out, your doom._ "

Derek's hand slipped forward from the blood and fell onto his face, knocking a box on top of himself and the Hunters turned their head towards the source of the noise.

" _You're so quiet, yet so loud. No words, just the sounds of your escape plan crashing down to the ground. You want to know the truly crazy thing, I almost believed that you were not alone, that you had help, but there is no help for you anymore, now that Claudia Stilinski is dead. I know she helped you escape the Tower all those years ago, but now... nobody is here to help you._ "

"That's where you're wrong... he has me." came a voice and Derek looked towards the door as his eyes glowed blue from the arrival of someone in his "pack" where stood Stiles Stilinski in a hood and his hands were clenched into fists. Before the robots could even move, Stiles threw his hand forward through one of the robot's chest, circuitry in his hand as the robot went offline. Stiles threw the offline bot into the two others as the one in the back, or rather to Derek anyway, the front... stepped forward and shot a laser towards him. Stiles rolled out of the way with ease. As he came out of the roll Stiles jumped up and kicked the robot's head off and at the same time chucked it into the other two bots' heads, shattering all three at once.

Stiles watched as all of the bots fell to the ground and he smiled lightly before running over to help Derek, lifting the box off of him and wrapping Derek's arm around his neck lifting him to his feet.

"I guess we're even on the helping front, huh?" Stiles laughed as Derek looked at him through blood covered eyelids. The werewolf was in bad shape. "Where should I take you?"

"My sister has a loft I'm staying in right now, get me there... and I'll be able to recuperate." was all Derek could say before he went limp and Stiles picked him up into his arms before running to his jeep which was parked outside.

Stiles got Derek into the jeep, the werewolf flopping onto the passenger seat in which Stiles laid it back and slid across his hood and into the driver seat hoping he could get Derek to the loft in time.

Stiles was driving across the bridge following the cars having been removed following the Juggernaut incident when a sudden realization came across his mind. WHERE THE HELL WAS THE LOFT AT?!

 _Hey, Madame Web... you there?_

"Yes, Mr. Stilinski?" the psychic's voice echoed in the back of his head. "We had unfinished business to speak about before you left."

 _Um, sorry... but I kind of need your all-knowing brain of yours to help me. Where's Derek Hale's sister's loft at by chance?_

Madame Web sighed, and he could basically imagine her rubbing her forehead in annoyance. "It's..."

She told him the location and Stiles quickly thanked her, deciding to hurry up and get Derek to the loft before more of those robots showed up. He laughed accidentally realizing how odd it was for him to think that he was possibly being chased by killer robots, it was too funny and terrifying at the same time. It was like he was in that horrible Spongebob film that gave Spongebob a fear of robots in that one episode. So, he might have watched a lot of Spongebob until he was thirteen, so what?

Stiles eventually parked in the back of the building's parking lot and carried Derek up to the loft where he slid the door open and laid him down onto the couch. He ran back to the door and shut it before walking around the small apartment. It was really, really nice, better than Stiles' entire house as a matter of fact, and Stiles knew that Derek couldn't own this because, well... Derek looked more like your modern hobo that still looked like a model at the end of the day. That was something that would go down in history as the number one thing Stiles might have hated about him. He pulled his phone out and looked at the time, it was almost seven. His father was probably still working doing paperwork over the Queensboro Bridge, and he hadn't tried contacting Stiles so there was a silver lining to today.

Being told he was going to die at the hands of Norman Osborn was something that weighed heavily on him, but now with everything else starting to build up, he couldn't focus on his own death. He had to make sure Derek didn't die on him, he _needed_ to find the Identity Thief and stop him from killing anyone else or finding the one that got away. He needed to do a lot of things before he died, and right about now it felt like he had something to fight for now for once.

He laid back and eventually fell asleep, having not even realized it.

* * *

Derek woke up with a gasp as he touched his chest from where the wounds had been inflicted and winced knowing it wasn't healing yet. He stumbled to his feet and went and grabbed the purple flower that would be the cure to his ailment. The funny thing was, this flower was the same thing causing him to not heal. He took the flower and crushed it up before sprinkling the tiny flakes into the wounds. The wounds glowed purple before healing and Derek sighed a breath of relief. He was in the clear; the thing was he looked up to see Stiles Stilinski sleeping in the chair upside down.

"How do you sleep?" he asked incredulously as he walked over to the teenager. Derek tapped him on the shoe before Stiles screamed waking up and flew up to the ceiling clinging to it. "Well, I guess I wasn't hallucinating the whole power thing, was I?"

"Don't do that! I thought you were a robot!" Stiles hissed weakly, before dropping to his feet. "And yeah, I have powers now."

"Why do you have powers, I thought you were human the last time we spoke?"

"I was, but it turns out when I was in the spider rotunda I picked up one of the genetically altered spiders my mother worked on before she died. It just so happened to be the X-95, the perfect subject that she created, which ended up biting me, turning me into a Cross Species of sorts I guess."

"That doesn't explain something," Derek noted, remembering how his eyes had flashed blue when Stiles showed up to the warehouse a couple hours earlier. "I sensed a member of my pack show up to the warehouse at the same time you did, why would that be?"

"I guess it's because you sensed a bit of yourself."

"Wait, are you trying to say that the spider Claudia made..."

"...had your blood in it. I guess in a way I have to thank you for my powers man," Stiles laughed with a bright smile. " _Derek, I am your brother..._ " the teen held his arm up like he was Darth Vader telling Luke his iconic line, and the werewolf immediately rolled his eyes.

"Well, now we have another problem then. We're going to have to stick together now, because Norman Osborn is going to be looking for you now, especially considering the X-95 being gone."

"How do you know it's gone?" Stiles asked, to which he gained a glare from the werewolf and he laughed with fear. "Yeah it's gone... gone all the way to spider web heaven."

"Oh you're going to die a horrible death..." Derek sighed.

"Whoa, hold it buddy! What are you talking about?!" Stiles exclaimed in shock at the outrageous comment. "I am not going to die at all! I shall live to be older than you in dogs years."

"At least it'll be quickly..." Derek laughed sourly before walking out of the room.

"What is that supposed to mean?! TELL ME!" Stiles threw his arms up running after Derek in which a moment later he was thrown back into the living room. "OW!"

"It means exactly that, you can't fight for anything."

"I didn't want to hit you! Try to hit me again, I dare you!" Stiles knew this buzzing would inform him when he was going to be attacked, so he stood up and walked towards the werewolf whose eyes glowed menacingly and he brought his claws out. "Oh, I thought this was a dog fight, not a cat fight. Put the claws away..."

"You expect them to go easy and put the claws away, they'll bring everything out after you. So, do you want me to hit you or not?"

"Do it," Stiles sighed after a moment before Derek ran at him. Almost immediately Stiles' spider sense went off and he dived backwards to dodge a slash and came back with a punch. Derek caught his fist and slammed him onto the ground.

"So, you can dodge, just can't hit me... we'll have to work on that if you want to even remotely have a chance of fighting against Oscorp."

"Oh... if you only knew."

* * *

 **Hey guys, hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I just wanted to say that I am glad that all of you guys are still sticking around, those of you who are. I wanted to give you all a present considering we're past the 200 review mark, and here's my present, the timeline of what's happened in the story so far. It's not the best but it's the closest thing I can make to one, so here it is! Please review and here is the timeline for all of you.**

* * *

 ** _1979_**

* * *

November 7th, 1979

* * *

-Derek Hale is born

* * *

1995

* * *

-Hale Fire

-Derek Hale is brought into Oscorp for experimental treatment

-Lycan Project is started

-Derek heals and abilities are enhanced.

-Claudia discovers Derek is a werewolf

-Norman is forced to speed up Lycan Project

-Claudia discovers Norman's plans for Derek, helps Derek escape

-Derek disappears without a trace

-General Slocum, Mr. Fargas and Balkan are killed

-Claudia pregnant with Stiles

-Claudia marries Stilinski

-Harry Osborn is born, Emily Osborn (Harry's mother) dies

* * *

1996

* * *

-Harris is saved from Cletus Kasady

-Kasady arrested by Stilinski

-Stiles is born

* * *

 **2003**

* * *

-Lydia falls off bike develops scar on knee, Stiles faints from the sight of the cut

* * *

 **2004**

* * *

-Claudia bitten by spider at Oscorp

-Dies at hospital three months later to Dementia

-Stiles and Stilinski develop an unbreakable bond

-Stiles becomes attached to his mother's pillow

-Claudia's Funeral

-Stiles and Lydia have first moment of real friendship

* * *

 **2005**

* * *

-Stiles makes Lydia spider symbol necklace for her 9th birthday

* * *

 **2006**

* * *

-Camden Lahey is murdered among other copycat victims of Cletus Kasady

-Stiles meets Erica by saving her from drowning

* * *

 **2011**

* * *

-Stiles and Erica start dating

-Stiles and Harry become friends

* * *

 **2012**

* * *

-Erica breaks up with Stiles for unknown reasons

-Scott realizes that Stiles still likes Lydia

-Bank robbery sprees throughout the city by one group

* * *

 **Season Zero**

* * *

 **August**

* * *

-Serial killer known as The Identity Thief begins killings. Two within the first two weeks of August, no face on victims

* * *

Tuesday, August 14th

* * *

-Third Identity Thief victim found

* * *

Wednesday, August 15th

* * *

-Norman tells Justin about the tale of Arachne and Athena

-Claudia's research missing

-Stiles is ignored by Erica

-Stiles, Scott, and Harry- best friends

-Stiles and Lydia- partners in Biology but not friends

-Stiles and Jackson- rivals but "friendly"

* * *

Thursday, August 16th

* * *

-Stiles and Flash fight in courtyard

-Stilinski confronts Norman

-Stiles talks to Norman in the limo

-Basement floods

-Stiles finds his mother's briefcase and a journal

-Victim of Identity Thief found

-Norman has four months to live

* * *

Friday, August 17th

* * *

-Jackson begins suspecting Norman is sick

-Norman informs Jackson of his possible future as CEO of Oscorp

-Study session with Harry

-Harry suggests asking Lydia for help with adhesive formula

-Stilinski lets Stiles help with the case after having a nightmare

-Blue eyed man watches Stiles and Harry from window

* * *

Saturday, August 18th

* * *

-Stiles uncovers more of his mother's research

-Stiles convinces Scott to help him

-Subject Zero enters Stilinski's attic

* * *

Sunday, August 19th

* * *

Monday, August 20th

* * *

-Hempstead Field Trip

-Stiles meets Derek Hale for the first time

-Gathers more research and discovers Derek's story as Subject Zero

-New Identity Thief victim uncovered, with a message

-Stiles gets bitten by the X-95

-Gains abilities

-Lydia gets internship at Oscorp Tower

-Norman encounters Subject Zero

-Mysterious woman speaks about Mieczyslaw Stilinski

* * *

Tuesday, August 21st

* * *

-Stiles develops powers

-Harris and Stiles talk

-Confrontation between Stiles and Flash in locker room

-Erica has seizure for unknown reasons

-Stiles and Lydia begin friendship

-Jackson and Stiles begin a foundation for a friendship to start

-Stiles gets put into the next basketball game

-Derek goes in search of a scream

-Stiles uncovers possible connection to Identity Thief

-Norman orders Shaw to keep an eye on Stiles, and hunt down Subject Zero

* * *

Wednesday, August 22nd

* * *

-Norman finds out that Harry knows he is sick

-Stiles gets his jeep back

-Juggernaut escapes from Ryker's Island

-Stiles saves Flash and other civilians on Queensboro Bridge

-Stiles meets Madame Web

-Madame Web tells Stiles of his impending death

-Derek is attacked by Norman

-Stiles saves Derek

-Derek intends to train Stiles to survive Norman, among other things

* * *

 **Season One**

* * *

February 2013

* * *

-Lydia makes Daily Bugle Article


	21. Blood Trail

_Chapter Twenty: Blood Trail_

* * *

 ** _The Loft_**

* * *

Stiles opened his eyes slowly, feeling the intense pain from the bruising on his torso from where Derek had left his mark following their "training" if it could be called that. How in god's name Derek considered a beating like that a training session, Stiles would never know. If Derek had used his claws he imagined the werewolf would have left him in a pool of his own blood. It was kind of terrifying to think about in all honesty but he wouldn't think about it too long. He groaned as he sat up with a great amount of effort.

The sun was starting to rise over the city of Manhattan, and Stiles turned his head towards his clock where he saw it was a little after five thirty. With luck if he drove home now he could get home before his father woke up and he would be in the clear.

Derek was currently passed out on the couch and Stiles couldn't be bothered to wake him up as he stumbled to the door and left. He was sure the werewolf was aware of his departure because he heard a little grunt as Stiles shut the door, and by god it wasn't his own.

He still had to get home and deal with his father if he was caught, and if he was caught the consequences would not be good.

Meanwhile, Derek tossed and turned on the couch as in his head he had images of fire and people burning to death flash through his mind, the unfortunate accident that had rendered him blind and deaf, and killed most of his family all too fresh in his mind even though it had been nearly twenty years since then.

Derek might have looked like he was about eighteen, almost nineteen, but in actuality he was thirty-three years old. He knew that because when Stiles was born he was seventeen. Imagine being in a coma, and your entire life plays by over and over again on repeat without stopping. Now, imagine that you are aware that you are in a coma but you cannot do anything. That's what Derek had to go through for the longest time following the fire, and even after he escaped Oscorp Tower. It still felt like he was in a coma, and he knew he was asleep but couldn't control his dream.

The only solace he had from this nightmare was the wild card that was Stiles Stilinski. He was the one that Norman Osborn hadn't accounted for, and especially the Identity Thief. The Identity Thief was the one he was searching for, as he had his sister, Cora.

With Stiles' help, maybe Derek could find Cora before it was too late. That was something he had to hold on to, he just couldn't lose her as well.

Who knows, maybe now that Stiles was on his side, maybe Derek could face the two sided fight and come out alright.

"C-Cora," he muttered in his sleep as he did as he had done many times in the past year... he relived the days before his family's death.

* * *

 ** _November, 1994_**

* * *

 _"C-Cora?" the fifteen year old asked sleepily as he saw the little five year old look at him with a look of fear as she stood in the doorway. It was a look he was all too familiar with as his eyes glowed amber yellow. Derek sat up in bed with a smile, "What's wrong munchkin?"  
_

 _She giggled lightly before running over to him. "Mommy's on the phone with someone, and she's angry. I think it might be a bad man."_

 _"Mom, angry on the phone? You want me to make sure she's okay?" Derek asked her, raising an eyebrow to which Cora nodded quickly, her dark brown locks bouncing across her face like window blinds in the wind. "Alright, anything for you."_

 _Derek picked her up into his arms, lifting her with one arm as he carried her to the hallway. The house wasn't that big in his opinion, but it was large enough for their family, especially on the nights of the Wolf Moon ritual when there was nearly fifty of them in the same building. Derek carried Cora to her room, laying her down in the bed and told her goodnight before he went to check on his mother, Talia._

 _He could hear her before he even got close to the door, noting that it was partially due to his superhuman hearing that came with being a werewolf._

 _"Look, I don't care what threats you make, I am not afraid of you, and I'm definitely not afraid of Wilson Fisk. He really wants to say something, he knows where to find me, until then shut your trap before I shut it for you. Stay away from my family..."_

 _"Is that a threat?" a grisly voice came over the phone, one that made Derek shiver._

 _"No, it's a promise." Talia Hale hissed before hanging up and turned around as Derek opened the door, her anger disappearing as quickly as the door had opened. "Hey, sweetheart, I didn't know you were awake."_

 _"Cora woke me up, she said you were on the phone with someone and you sounded angry. Is everything okay?"_

 _"Y-yeah, I just got a call from an ex who wanted to get back together, it's nothing to worry about." she assured him, even though he knew she was lying, but he wouldn't press it. Talia was the Alpha of the family, and you didn't question the Alpha's motives. He just had one question, who was Wilson Fisk?_

 _"Oh, okay. Look, you know you don't have to hide work involving the Pack from me, you know that right?"_

 _"Of course, I promise you it's nothing." Talia gave a reassuring smile, but he could see the anger in her eyes, how her skin was glossy with sweat from how hot-blooded she got sometimes._

 _"Alright. Just, let me know if something's bothering you Mom. I know with Dad being gone, it's hard to deal with on your own."_

 _"I will, and I'll be fine, I've got an entire Pack, remember?"_

 _"Of course, it's just I want to say it every now and again. I'll see you in the morning."_

 _"Goodnight sweetheart."_

 _"Night mom." Derek smiled lightly, feeling hurt that she was lying to him, but he knew that she was doing it only out of the need to protect her child._

 _As he stepped out of the room, he saw his uncle Peter standing there with Cora in his arms and Laura standing beside him._

 _"Hey, Derek." Peter greeted with a smile, and Derek smiled back as he rushed over to give him a hug._

 _"When did you get back?"_

 _"Just a few minutes ago. Where's my sister at?" Peter asked as Derek motioned to the door. "Oh. I take it now's a bad time based on that look of despair on your face."_

 _"Despair? That's just Derek when he's tired." Laura laughed._

 _"No, that's not it, there's something else. What happened with your mother?" Peter handed Cora to Laura and crossed his arms._

 _"She was on the phone, arguing with someone. Cora woke me up because she heard Mom yelling. When I listened in, I heard her mention a name, Wilson Fisk." Derek watched as Peter's face went pale at the mention of Fisk. "Whoa, why does that name seem all too familiar with you?"_

 _"Um, now's not the time to talk about that. At least, not while we're in the same house as Talia. Laura, you want to get the car and we can go get some ice cream?"_

 _"Ice cream, at two in the morning?" Laura scoffed at the idea, but Peter looked all too serious. "Okay, I'll go get the car." She took Cora without another word to get the car, and Peter put his hand on Derek's shoulder as they walked out towards the street once Derek got his shoes on._

 _"You should have never heard that name."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Wilson Fisk is a dangerous man, and he's not happy with your mother."_

* * *

Derek awoke from his restless slumber and his eyes glowed that cold blue as he looked around, noticing that the teenage spider cross species was gone. Although, there was a little bit of blood on the floor.

"He did better than I did for the first time."

* * *

Stiles slowly opened the door to the house having parked the jeep at the sidewalk so his father didn't hear him pull in, poking his head through, small droplets of his own blood still fresh on his face. Stiles eyed the living room, noticing the television was on and that his father was in the chair, reading a newspaper facing the front door. There was no way for him to make a front entrance, so he quietly shut the door and backed away.

It was still early enough that he wouldn't need to hide his abilities, but just to be certain he needed to hurry up and get to his room, so with one grand leap he landed gracefully on his roof and climbed through his window and into his room.

Stiles crouched and moved into the bathroom to get washed up to hide the blood and hopefully hide the bruises the best he could. If he had to explain he could just say that he was in his lab and an experiment went wrong and he got hit with a flying rubber mallet. Okay, so it wasn't his best excuse but he didn't have a better one at this time so that was what he was going with.

He looked himself over in the mirror and grimaced at his looks. A sickly purple bruise outlined his eye, but it was already healing so he had a feeling it might be healed by the time school started, or at the very least to where he could get away with no questions being asked.

Blood was splattered on his face and hands from his training session with Derek, but Stiles had to admit the grizzled battle look kind of fit him. He washed the blood off of his face and decided to take a shower once he felt the dried blood in his hair. Derek had really beat the ever loving crap out of him.

Once he was out of the shower and dressed, he stepped into the hallway as he finished putting his shoes on. Stiles suddenly felt weak, like he could pass out at any moment, and he could feel his hands start to shake as he stumbled against the wall. His entire body started trembling as his legs gave out and he fell onto the floor, all while his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

* * *

Next thing Stiles knew was that his father was standing over him shaking him awake.

"Stiles! Are you okay?" his father's panicked voice asked him as Stiles came to, feeling normal. "Son, answer me!"

"Huh? What happened?" the teen asked groggily, sitting up slowly.

"I heard something hit the floor and when I came up here you were here. Are you okay?" Stilinski answered, as the teen rubbed the back of his neck.

"I-I think so." he replied weakly, as Stilinski helped him to his feet. "I don't know what happened."

"Well, can you tell me where you were earlier? I know you weren't home."

"Yeah, I was. I was in my lab working on an experiment. I fell asleep there because I was exhausted."

"Where was the jeep at then?"

"Dad, it's at the curb right now. I would have told you if I was staying somewhere else last night, even if I was upset with you."

Stilinski sighed, his age showing for the first time as he ran his hands through his hair, the wrinkles on his face ever apparent. "About that, I wanted to apologize for yelling at you. I get it, you were trying to help. I've raised you to where I shouldn't expect any less of you."

"Dad, it's fine, you don't need to apologize. I get it, you're worried about losing me like you lost Mom. It's fine. I'll talk to you later tonight after you get home but I gotta go to school."

"School? Stiles, I should take you to the doctor to make sure you're okay. I mean, we don't know why you were collapsed on the floor."

"I feel perfectly fine now. Don't worry about it. I'll see you after school, if I start to feel like something's wrong with me I'll call you, okay?"

"Alright, but if you even feel a small..."

"Okay, I will call you if there's even the tiniest difference." With a hug goodbye, Stiles took off for school, thankful his father hadn't seen the bruises on his face somehow, most likely preoccupied by the strange occurrence with Stiles spasming on the floor.

What was that anyway? Stiles couldn't move on his own, his mind went blank and he didn't even really know what happened afterwards until his father finally woke him up.

 _Madame Web, you there?_ Stiles asked the question in his mind, hoping the clairvoyant would hear him.

For a moment it seemed like she was now going to remain silent, until he heard a disembodied sigh.

" _Yes, Mieczyslaw... what do you need at this forsaken hour?_ " the clairvoyant asked with a level of sarcasm Stiles found extremely impressive.

 _I kind of need to know something. Something just happened to me, and I don't know what it was. I figure if anyone would know what happened right off the bat, it'd be you._

" _Oh, so this is how it's going to be, is it? I'm just the informant? I am a living person, I'm not Siri and I will not be there to answer whatever questions you have. But, I suppose this time around I will indulge you and figure out what happened..._ "

 _Thank you._ Stiles smiled lightly as he climbed in his jeep and turned the vehicle on.

" _Oh dear... I see why you're concerned._ " Madame Web was solemn in her response once Stiles started driving. " _You had a seizure..._ "

Stiles had to slam on the brakes to even comprehend this.

 _A, a seizure?! What do you mean I had a seizure, I've never had one before!_

" _It's a side effect of your body adapting to your new powers. When you attacked that robot and exhibited your strength, then recovered from Derek Hale's attacks, your body couldn't handle it, so you adapted. There truly is nothing to worry. The more you use your powers the better you will be for it. Eventually you won't have to worry about the sudden seizures._ "

 _Eventually, eventually? What do you mean by that, am I really going to have more of these before my body decides it can handle it? I don't see why my body needs to adjust any further if I'm going to die at the hands of Norman Osborn!_ He was scared, furious, and many other emotions that he couldn't quite explain, but all of them together he knew it was a storm.

" _Yes, eventually. And you do not have to worry about your death, yet. Do not focus on it. It's better to live in the present than face the future. You are still a teenager, and you need to live while you can._ " Madame Web explained, and Stiles rolled his eyes. " _I saw that._ "

 _So?_

" _Just because I am not there does not mean I can't make you have a very bad day Mieczyslaw, just remember that... also that was extremely rude._ "

 _Sorry, I'm just not very excited to live a life that's about to end, you know? Thank you, M.W. if you need help just give me a call on your old telepathone. I have school, so I will be ignoring all calls..._

" _Did you really just say... telepathone._ " her voice showed she was amused, something Stiles had been trying to accomplish, and he threw his hands up in the air in victory.

 _Yeah. I was lazy and didn't want to say the telepath phone... so telepathone was the quickest to say._

" _Well, at least your strange sense of humor will keep things light as the days count down. Goodbye for now, Mr. Stilinski._ "

 _Talk to you later M-Dubs._

Stiles sat at the stop sign longer than he should have, dwelling on the fact he had a seizure... and he kind of smiled, thinking that he finally knew a small segment of what Erica went through, how scared she must have been to have gone through that for the first time. He had a new appreciation for how strong she really was.

He continued to smile as he drove to school.

* * *

Everything at school was boring, there was no excitement other than the info that Stiles was the man who saved Flash Thompson from the car crash, information given by Stilinski, having come to the conclusion that Stiles had done the right thing and deserved some recognition. They all looked at him with a new light, one that almost ensured he wasn't entirely invisible anymore. Erica was at school for a little bit today, and to be honest he found that she was kind of happy for him by the way she gave a small, but distant smile when they made eye contact.

As a matter of fact, Stiles had to say that everyone was happy to hear that Flash Thompson had been taught a lesson, although what lesson that was, Stiles had no idea because the idiot was passed out when he was saved.

The school day was over before Stiles even knew it, and he decided to stop by Derek's to talk with him about why he was even running around with Norman knowing he was in the city now. As he stepped through the doors of the loft he found Derek eating a bowl of cereal.

"It's nearly four in the afternoon and you're eating cereal?"

"I don't eat like I should, okay?"

"I don't care, I was just surprised." Stiles smiled as he sat down in front of Derek and crossed his arms. "I think we need to talk about why you were being chased by those robots. What happened?"

"Two days ago, following our little encounter at the Hempstead facility, I heard a scream coming from Queens. I figured it had something to do with that serial killer, the Identity Thief, so I went to intervene. It was a trap Osborn laid out and I was running until I called you yesterday. I couldn't do anything by that point. Calling you was my last resort."

"Wait, why were you trying to find the Identity Thief?"

"This is kind of why I spoke to you at the facility, Stiles... I need your help. You're the guy with the only other mind I know that can adapt to any personality. Your mother was the only other one that could do that as far as I know. My little sister, Cora... he has her. I've been searching for her for a few months now."

"Whoa, so... you're sure she's still alive?" Stiles asked, noticing that Derek began squeezing the spoon to where the metal bent. "I'm being completely honest here. If it's been a few months wouldn't he have killed her by now?"

"She's a werewolf, Stiles. She heals quickly. All of the victims were killed by the trauma inflicted upon them. I need your help to find her. I think if there's a chance of anyone finding something that was missed, it'll be you."

"I don't know how I could find something that even you missed." Stiles admitted, as he contemplated what might have been missed. "Unless, you weren't able to pick it up because of the bleach he leaves behind at the scene. He must have figured out Cora was a werewolf and he's using bleach to stop you from tracking him. It wasn't because of the blood he dropped at the scene, no... he, he was trying to stop you from finding him."

"Yeah, and I have another problem. Norman Osborn is still producing the Lycan Serum, the same variant that turned me into that monster you saw on the footage on Dr. Gajos' research folder."

"Wait, I thought you were the one being used for that."

"I was, but now he's using my other sister, Laura. She's the new Alpha in my family. After the fire that killed my family, Laura took my mother's spark in order to maintain the Hale pack."

"So, if your blood, the blood of a Beta can turn people into whatever the hell you became that night, then what would it do with the power of an Alpha involved?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out. It'd be hard to get to her, because she's in Oscorp Tower. I promised your mother before she died that if I had to fight against Norman's goons again, I wouldn't kill anyone. It'll be hard to do that without having them subdued and stuck out of the way."

 _Maybe you could with an adhesive... like a spider's web..._

"Derek, you just gave me an idea! I can't create webs, but what if I make a device that can effectively shoot _webs_ and contain those guys. It'll be like having a fly trapped in a web! It'll be perfect. I can help you get Laura out of there, I can get around quicker because of the fact I can access vents easier and stick to any surface. Well, I don't know if I'll stick to a non-stick pan, that's something I don't plan on finding out."

"Do you have this webbing fluid for this device?"

"No, but I think I might have that problem fixed tomorrow. I'm supposed to work with a classmate on an adhesive formula my mother was working on before she died. What if that's actually what it was meant for."

"What?"

"Call me crazy, but my mother had this obsession with spiders! Spider research, the X-series, everything that she worked on had something to do with spiders. What if she was doing something similar to the cables that Oscorp are working on that are supposed to be like spider webs? I could do something with that and we can get Laura out of the Tower, and then with these _web shooters_ we could find and save Cora from the Identity Thief."

"Stiles, we need a trail to follow first."

"Right..." Stiles muttered lowly with a frown.

"Where was she taken from?"

* * *

 _Unknown Location_

* * *

 **(A Few Months Earlier)**

* * *

 _As the wind whistled through the small streets, he couldn't help but smile as he noticed someone walking towards the building, her eyes shy and fearful, like an abused puppy... yet she had potential to be so much more, it just had to be peeled away slowly. That glimmer in his eye shined at the mere thought of how utterly sweet it was that of all the places he could have found **her** , the one he had lost so long ago, was now here at the one place he came to every day of the week. It was ironic that she had been right under his nose all along, yet how could he have known. He couldn't do anything though, even if she was merely a few feet away, almost within arm's reach._

 _Oh how he longed to have that aroma of her perfume that when she was close it was strong enough to taste. It was the one thing he had longed for, well... one of the many things he longed for that involved her._

 _As he watched her walk towards the door, he watched as the black haired teenage male run alongside her, his eyes showed hopefulness and the pain that only a former boyfriend or girlfriend could have. He smiled as he reached her, but the teen was unable to rouse any sort of smile from her._

 _It didn't surprise him really, after all with him being only about twenty feet away, the odds of her having any sort of smile would be minuscule. The teenager would not see him standing there, because he was too focused on the girl... **his girl.**_

 _ **You will not get in the way of my plan...** he growled in his own mind, as he clenched his fist, the cuts from that last girl still fresh on his skin. His body shivered at the thought of how strong she had been to fight him, but he smiled nevertheless. Today was a good day, because he had finally found the one who had gotten away from him._

 _The sun shined over the city as the Identity Thief adjusted his jacket and stepped into the building, to ensure his plan would not falter. She was so close, and not even that insolent teenager would get in his way, and with that thought he stepped forward, following the one that got away._

* * *

 _It was only a few hours later when he found her once more... As he stepped into the room where she was, he could see the fear in her eyes as she saw him... the true face he hid. There was nowhere for her to go, and if not for that teenager by her, he would have had her in his grasp finally. He was angry... so unbelievably angry because he was right there. SHE WAS RIGHT THERE! He wanted to strangle that young man right there, but he couldn't blow his secret and ruin his chances._

 _The Identity Thief simply smiled as he decided where to strike the young man best. Would he kill him, and just be done with it, or would he send a message? He developed an idea and a devilish smile appeared on his face._

* * *

 _He stepped in front of the door of the teenager's sister's home, and knocked ever so diligently. As the door opened, he brought out the knockout darts._

* * *

Stiles and Derek stood in the trashed apartment, and just from the look of things, Stiles knew that Cora had put up a hell of a fight.

He looked through the chaotic mess of what remained of the apartment, and he thought hard as to what might have happened. She didn't expect an attack, Stiles could guess that merely by the damage. This was not the damage of an expected fight, but rather a fight to survive an ambush.

"He must have came through the front door. Probably caught her off-guard, maybe tried to drug her so she wouldn't draw attention to each other by her screams. Whatever he did caused her to get angry and she fought back..."

Stiles' mind was going wild as he began to think about the most probable way things went down. He came down to the conclusion that it had to have gone down by the Identity Thief stepping inside, and most likely he would have drugged her, possibly with a dart of some kind that was laced with a knockout drug.

* * *

 _Cora opened the door, noticing the man standing there rather nervously. There was something off about him, though as he looked up at her with a small smile._

 _"Hi, I was wondering if I could use your phone, my car broke down." he asked generously, and Cora nodded, uncertain of his intentions, but out of the kindness of her heart she turned around to get the phone._

 _"Yeah, sure. It's right through here." she pointed towards the kitchen counter where her phone was and began moving when she caught a smell of a drug, and she felt a needle enter the back of her neck. She turned to face the man who held a dart gun in his hand._

 _"That won't be necessary. See, someone that cares about you is getting in the way of a plan of mine. I'm here to send a message."_

 _Cora's eyes turned amber yellow as she roared, catching the man off guard, his eyes growing wide with surprise as he shot her once again. She launched herself at him, grabbing onto the collar of his jacket, pulling him towards her._

 _With a contorting twist, Cora threw the man onto the glass table, smashing it into countless pieces, accompanied by the sound of glass shattering._

* * *

"Derek, I need you to help me recreate what happened here." Stiles announced as Derek looked at him with a look that could only be described as disbelief. "You'll be the Identity Thief, and I'll be Cora."

Derek nodded reluctantly but walked over to the door, as Stiles adjusted him in the doorway. "Okay, so... I imagine he made some excuse to get inside the house, probably saying his car broke down and needed to use the phone. Cora, she probably said yes and turned around." Stiles acted like he thought Cora would, taking a few steps towards the kitchen. "Now, the Identity Thief pulls a tranquilizer dart gun out and shoots Cora." Derek raised the imaginary gun, shooting Stiles, and the teen acted like he got hit. "This causes Cora to get angry, and attacks." He grabs Derek by the collar of his jacket once he got close. "Sorry about this... but it's to save your sister." He twisted easily and threw Derek onto the remains of the table. The werewolf grunted on the ground as Stiles sighed happily. "... and it was kind of payback for that one hit last night. Anyway, he's on the ground now after Cora sends him through the table... now, the Identity Thief, he's angry that things aren't going so well, so..." he started thinking and developed the image, and his eyes grew dark as he came to a revelation. "so... he adapted..."

* * *

 _Cora growled as the man recuperated and looked at the shards of glass on the ground. He smiled lightly. "So, you're a werewolf... what do you know?"_

 _The man grabbed a large shard and threw it into Cora's shoulder, knocking her back against the wall... in a moan of pain she pulled the glass out, dropping it to the ground. In that short amount of time between her stumbling backwards and pulling the glass out of her shoulder, the man had stumbled to his feet and gotten a hold of the dart gun once more which was near the front door. He shot her three more times in the chest, and she began to become drowsy stumbling around as she began to move towards him._

 _"Don't fight it, my dear... you're going to just wear yourself out more. I don't want you damaging yourself anymore than what you need to be. Don't fight it, for your own sake."_

 _Cora growled as she reached him, slashing towards him, slightly cutting his arm as she passed out, falling into his arms._

 _"Now, I don't want there to be any evidence of who I am, or how to track you. So, it's a good thing I brought bleach."_

* * *

Stiles and Derek recreated the scene the best they could, and after a moment Stiles had Derek use his nose to track the residual bleach and how strong they were in areas around the house. The Identity Thief had used the bleach first at the front and moved to the back of the house after trashing it completely, most likely an after thought in case she wasn't as valuable as he figured she would be. After all, maybe the reason she was taken wasn't worth it and needed a pay off.

"What was missing?"

"A necklace my mother had planned on giving Cora for her eighteenth birthday. Laura gave it to her shortly after the fire as a way to remember Mom."

"Would she wear it all the time?"

"No, but she didn't want it to get ruined. She had it in her bedroom in a box that she could only use her claws to open. Do you think he figured it out?"

"If he was smart enough, which he probably is... I imagine so. Cora would have probably been wolfed out when she was knocked out anyway, so her claws would have been out."

"Why would he take that?"

"The way I see it, he's taking things as trophies. I never looked at the files about missing personal items, but I imagine he takes those belongings as trophies for when he kills them."

"Stiles, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking that if I was going to carry someone out of a house to kidnap them, I'd go out the back." Stiles ran past Derek and to the back door, and he felt a slight buzz in the back of his head.

 _My spider sense, why now?_

He looked around as his sight turned blue, and on the wall, embedded in the wooden board, was something highlighted, with a slight red hue. Stiles reached for it, tenderly taking it into his hand as his sight went back to normal.

 _So, my spider sense can also act as a detective scanner? That's amazing! This could come in handy._

"Derek! I found something!" Stiles held the small metal piece, which he presumed to be an engraved tag of some kind.

Derek came running over, eyeing the metal as he caught a whiff of a man's blood on it. "Stiles, that has blood on it. I think I might have his scent."

"So, looks like we have a blood trail. Derek, you're the one with the enhanced smelling, you follow that scent the best you can. He might have come back here."

"Alright, what about you?"

"I'm going to get this to my lab and get it cleaned up. It looks like there's some engraving on here. Maybe I can figure out where it's from and we might have a location. How's that sound?"

"Perfect, better than anything I've been able to come up with. Stiles, how did you find that?"

"I don't know, I was just drawn to it I guess. I'm still figuring out my powers as it is. Look, I'll see what I can do about this, and developing those web shooters. While I do that you just follow that trail and try to keep a low profile. I don't need to face Norman Osborn's killer robots again."

"Hey, it's a part of the whole Cross Species thing. Norman Osborn is just a part of that."

"Yeah, I suppose. I just wish I could tell my Dad about my powers, or even Scott."

Derek looked at him like he was crazy, and Stiles felt a chill run down his spine. "Are you crazy? You can't tell anyone. We're Oscorp property now, and Osborn will come after anyone you care about. What happens when he finds out that someone you know and love is aware of your abilities, and how you got them? He will have them killed! We can't tell anyone about what we are because we are no longer human, we're a test subject, and our maker is coming to get us. You and I, we have to stick together now, you said it yourself, we're brothers now. You have my blood in you, so quite literally we're bound in blood. We can only trust each other."

Stiles gulped, as a horrific image of his father being murdered by Norman Osborn. He couldn't allow that...

* * *

 **Oscorp Tower.**

* * *

Norman stood quietly in his office as he picked up the phone and dialed Shaw's number. "Mr. Shaw... it's time."


	22. The Lead

_Chapter Twenty-one: The Lead_

* * *

Lydia sat down as she got home from her first day interning at Oscorp, happier than she imagined she would be. There was something truly magical about working at Oscorp that made her feel all giddy inside, and for the first time in a long time she truly felt like herself, not the popular, dumb girl facade that she normally put on. No, this was the Lydia Martin that Stiles Stilinski could see no matter what, and had fallen for when they were both kids.

She smiled at the thought that tomorrow she was going to get to hang out with Stiles for the first time in years. Well, there was times where they hung out as a group with Scott, Jackson, and Danny... but that wasn't what she meant. She meant alone time with him, just the two of them. It was something she was looking forward to.

Things were starting to feel like she was back to the way she wanted it to be. Of course, there was only one thing that she needed for it to be that way, and that made her face turn red at the thought, unsure of what that might bring. She grabbed the spider necklace lightly and laid back on her bed.

Should she tell him the one thing she had always wanted to tell him? What would he say now? Lydia was actually nervous, and that was more surprising than anything else.

* * *

Stiles walked quietly towards Derek's loft once he left Cora's, and he slowly began to realize what kind of a man the Identity Thief really was. This was not a man that picked his targets like Stiles originally thought. Cora did not match any of the previous abductees' descriptions. The targets always had looked similar, but now Stiles had to think about what the Identity Thief was trying to do.

Was he trying to send a message to someone, to back off? If that was the case, why would they need to back off, and why take Cora of all people? Stiles had a suspicion Derek knew more than he was letting on, but that was for another day. Right about now he had a job to do, and that was to figure out where this metal piece came from. The engraving appeared to be some business name by the looks of it, even had a symbol but it was so damaged Stiles wasn't even sure he was going to be able to salvage any evidence off of it.

And so, he found himself trying to figure out the secrets of this little piece when he recalled his strange new spider sense ability he had discovered at the house. It was kind of remarkable, but it was terrifying at the same time. Could he learn how to find enemies in a crowd and distinguish them from innocent bystanders? What if he could see people with diseases? The possibilities of what his Spider Sense could do was truly endless.

Maybe he would have to test this theory of his once he learned how he even activated it. All he was doing was trying to find something, and he had concentrated as hard as he could. Now, with his ADHD he would have normally had trouble, but maybe this was a side effect of him having that.

Stiles hadn't been all "spazzy" like he normally was and for the first time in a long time he felt genuinely normal, well as normal as a human spider cross species with a diabolical man like Norman Osborn after them can be.

He continued on his way to the loft taking in the sights of the city, imagining himself in the air flying around. Of course, he couldn't fly, but he figured swinging from a rope or something of that sort would give the same sensation.

He wasn't even aware that he had climbed to the top of an apartment complex by the time he had reached the top and just stared at the horizon of Manhattan. Ideas began running through his head about how he could traverse through the city without even touching the ground, and while he didn't know the limit of his powers, Stiles knew that while he was alive, he was going to learn how to use them to his fullest ability and New York City was going to become his playground.

Stiles smiled, truly content with himself for once in his life and laid back. He knew that he had to get back to his house to examine that metal, but he had to admit that was one hell of a view.

He eventually became happy with the sight-seeing and stood up, smiling as he looked down, raising an eyebrow as a daring thought crept upon him.

 _Hmm, I mean, if I use my wall-crawling abilities and this... Web Rush ability, I might be able to get back to the loft without even touching the ground. I hope I don't become a Stiles Pancake._

He stepped onto the precipice of the roof, to where his feet were dangling over the edge, and as he felt the wind blow through his hair, Stiles took in a deep breath letting what fear he had in him drain away. Stiles held his arms out to his side, forming a t-pose, and as he closed his eyes he let himself fall forward.

In that moment that his feet left the safety of the roof, it felt like his heart had stopped beating. Stiles knew that he had done something like this before when he helped Flash on the bridge, but that was only about a ten foot drop, while this was about a fifty foot drop, there was a huge difference.

"AH!" his screams echoed through the concrete canyons as his eyes opened, trying to steady himself as he went spiraling towards the street below. Stiles flailed viciously as he turned towards the wall with his feet. He was close enough to where he could touch it with his legs, and a smile formed on his face as he took in a deep breath once more as he used the wall as a foothold and went flying across the street.

 _Holy crap, this is amazing!_ He flew towards the building in front of him, and in those few short seconds, Stiles threw his hand out. His palm planted against the glass and he pulled himself along, flipping around the corner as he put his feet on the wall and began running on the building. _So, this is what superheroes feel when they use their abilities? I could so get used to this._

He ran until there was no building left for him to run on, and so he leaped forward towards the next building, landing gracefully on the side once more. There was so much to love about this that Stiles couldn't even think of where to start.

Stiles flew through the city, flipping, running, jumping, and crawling his way around the buildings and he was loving every single second of it. It truly felt like New York City was his playground, and he was just getting started.

However, he would do this more once he dealt with the job at hand, and with incredible speed he raced to his jeep, never touching the ground a single time.

 _So, M-Dubs, you there?_ Stiles knew she was listening, it was rather a question of whether she would answer him or not.

" _Yes, of course Mr. Stilinski._ " she answered monotonously, and Stiles could practically imagine her eyes rolling underneath that blindfold... that was if she did have eyes. That made him stop for a moment and he gulped lightly not wanting to ask that question. " _Yes, I have eyes... and to what do I owe this call of sorts?_ "

 _I was wondering what you saw in me that made you so adamant to talk to me. It's been kind of bothering me._

" _I saw something that can only come from one event... and you are afraid of it. If you do not die, then the future I saw will not come to fruition. I need you to accept it so it can happen. Your death will save thousands, possibly millions of lives in the long run."_

Stiles wondered how his death could save so many lives when Norman Osborn got what he wanted in the end... Stiles' blood.

 _If my death is something good, then why won't you tell me what happens afterwards? It doesn't matter right, if I'm going to die anyway._

" _Mieczyslaw, please... I can't tell you because if you know what happens, you'll try to change it. I can't allow it._ "

 _Depends on what that is._

" _I will not tell. This is the only time I will tell you... just accept the inevitability of this. Focus on the task at hand, find the Identity Thief..._ "

 _I'll find him, and when I do... we'll see if my future's still the same._

Stiles landed at Derek's loft, and cracked his neck before getting in the jeep and took off for his house.

He had one question on his mind as he drove past Midtown High, and that was what the Identity Thief's next move would be.

* * *

 ** _Midtown High School Parking Lot_**

* * *

The auburn clouds hung over the school giving off a gorgeous sunset as Tracy Stewart walked with her boyfriend Carter Steel towards his car.

"So, I heard back from a friend and he said he'd see if he was available to take photos of your car for you." Tracy announced, breaking the peaceful silence between them. They were the only ones in the parking lot at the moment and while she could have continued to enjoy the beautiful silence, she felt she had to say something, and why she did not have the slightest clue.

Carter smiled lightly, having suspected she might have been attempting something with his car as she had recently become very entranced with every little thing that was on it. It was like she couldn't get enough, and to be honest he found it cute.

Carter was one of the few Lacrosse players that wasn't on the basketball team, like Stilinski, McCall, and Whittemore were. It was probably for this reason that Jackson Whittemore and his _gang_ didn't talk to him all that much. Of all the things he had planned when he got to High School, he hadn't planned on falling for that Freshman named Tracy Stewart. Carter himself was a Junior, unlike the other members of the team which mainly consisted of Sophomores.

He didn't know many people besides those on the Lacrosse team, so he felt better off in the end. Carter and Tracy had only been dating for a few months, and Carter had to admit he loved her more than anything else.

"Wait, you were serious about that?" he laughed. "Thank you... I mean it. You know, I was thinking of going to check out that new Shawarma place a few blocks from Stark Tower. You want to come with me?"

"I wish I could, but I gotta get home and finish up some homework."

"Oh," he sighed disappointingly, having wanted to spend some time with her as recently school had kept the two separated unfortunately. "We can always go some other time."

"No, you can go, I don't want to be the reason you didn't do something you've been wanting to do. I'll be fine."

"Tracy, I wanted to go with you. I can wait."

Tracy smiled lightly as they approached Carter's Porsche, when Carter heard a noise coming from behind them making him stop. He turned just in time to have a pair of brass knuckles smash into the side of his face, his nose breaking almost instantaneously as he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Carter!" Tracy screamed in terror as the attacker, a hooded man whose face was hidden by the shadows of the setting sun.

"Do not worry, Tracy... he'll live. If I were you, I'd worry about what's coming to you." the hooded man smiled as he lowered his hood and Tracy's eyes grew wide as he dashed forward at her.

By the time Carter opened his eyes, Tracy and the man was gone... with no trace of where they might be.

* * *

Stiles sat down in his lab and began to get to work placing the metal onto the table where he extracted a sample of the dried blood, hoping it wasn't too contaminated to where he couldn't get anything from it before he placed the piece into a solvent to clear off the grime and other unsavory objects on it.

His mind was racing as he went over the mental images of Cora's house and began to think about everything involving the Identity Thief.

How could the Identity Thief have known who Cora was? She wasn't one of the people that was normally taken by him, so that rules out the normal M.O. so perhaps Derek or someone close to Cora got in his way. Which one of the victims would be the one Derek somehow stopped from being killed at first? It's been a few months since Cora had been taken, so it must have been one of the early victims.

Stiles grabbed the file of all the names and began to read off the names. "Hayley Steele, Sara Roberts... Charlotte Hardwell." They all looked very similar, all innocent, Hardwell came from a rich family, Roberts lived in Harlem, and Steele was a Queens resident. There was no way that Cora Hale, in the apartment she lived in, there was no way she was associated with Hardwell, they ran in entire different cliques, that and there was a about a ten year difference at the least. Steele was likely, but Roberts was the most likely candidate. After what happened to Derek's family, Cora probably hung around Harlem a lot. Stiles developed a small smile as he laid back in the chair. It looked like he was going to pay a trip down to Harlem.

He closed the file once he found Sara Robert's address and took off out of the house. Grabbing his phone he dialed Derek's number.

"Stiles, what do you need?" Derek answered sourly.

"No hello, I'm hurt my favorite Sour wolf. I might have found a lead, and before you ask the blood sample is being analyzed, and that piece of metal is getting cleaned up as we speak, but it's going to take a while. Mind meeting me at an address, and bring a picture of Cora..."

"Where?"

* * *

Stiles hopped out of the jeep and stared at the apartment complex in front of him, and all he could feel was a sense of fear, but it wasn't his Spider Sense that was alerting him to this, it was more that when he opened his door, it was palpable. Stiles could practically taste the fear around here, and he didn't like that one bit.

 _Find Apartment 7B, Stiles..._ he thought to himself walking forward as he pulled his phone out to look at the time. It was eight-thirty now, and he had only two hours before his father got off of work, and Stilinski still wanted to have a chat with him.

"Better make this quick."

He made his way through the dingy hallways that look like it hadn't been cleaned in the building's entire life, and he felt like he was going to get sick because it wreaked of mildew in here.

He held his book bag loosely on his shoulder, which held his camera and some things he might need to collect evidence if there was any to pick up.

Stiles had taken his jacket off, which revealed his new physique quite well as he found the entrance to Apartment 7B. He looked around, wondering if he should wait for Derek to show up before he went in, but then again every second he waited it meant that the Identity Thief was one second closer to killing Cora or someone else for that matter.

He hesitated for a moment before he put his bag on both shoulders and knocked. "Hello? Is anybody home?"

There was no answer, and Stiles slowly opened the door and stepped into the apartment, only to find a gun pointed right at his face.

"Oh, damn..." he muttered as his Spider Sense went off, and he growled internally.

 _Oh, now you go off, why didn't you buzz when I was still outside of the apartment... well, you've really done it now Stiles... you've really done it now._

* * *

Shaw sat in front of the apartment complex where Stiles had went into and pulled a pistol out, setting it on his lap. He had all the time in the world to kill Stiles Stilinski, and he could take his time, because Norman Osborn only needed a small sample of blood, not a continual supply.

His phone rang and the assassin answered it with a calloused tone to his voice. "Mr. Osborn... Yes, I'm sitting in front of his vehicle right now. He's inside of an apartment. I'll get him when he comes back outside. What if I see Subject Zero as well?"

"Do what you must, but bring him to me no matter what. I need both of their blood, Mr. Shaw. They're more valuable than your precious life is, remember that."

"Of course, Mr. Osborn. It'll be done."

* * *

The Identity Thief pulled his hood down as he looked at the young woman that laid dead in front of him, and a wicked smile formed on his face as he laid a note down on her body, issued for Stiles Stilinski...

"Sorry, Ms. Stewart... but nobody is going to stop me from getting what I want."


	23. Consequences

_Chapter Twenty-two: Consequences_

* * *

The gun clicked as Stiles held his hands up slowly, watching the balding man stare him dead in the eye. This was a look that told Stiles if he didn't do everything just right he was going to get shot at, or killed, and he didn't want either of those things.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" the man ordered as Stiles smiled sheepishly.

"Okay, my name is Stiles, well it's a nickname really... my name is actually Mieczyslaw, yeah don't bother trying to say that because most people can't. Just take it easy, is this Sara Roberts' apartment?"

"Yes, or rather it was, what does it matter to you anyway? How do you know who my daughter is?"

"You're Gerald Roberts? Sir, listen to me, I'm not trying to cause any problems, I'm..." he contemplated how he could spin this easy enough to where he wouldn't get shot, or have the cops called on him for trespassing. "I'm a private investigator. Someone your daughter knew wanted me to look into her disappearance and murder. The cops are getting nowhere with this, but they're not me."

"You're a private investigator? You don't even look like you're eighteen." Gerald hissed at him, lowering the gun slightly.

"Oh, I get that a lot, trust me. I'm twenty-four, and before you ask, no I do not have identification on me, it's better for me when I do these kinds of things. If I get caught, they can't trace me back to my clients. Look, I know what you must be going through. The little girl you have cared about so much that you promised if anybody hurt her you would go to the ends of the earth and back to make them pay is gone... I know what it's like to lose the person you love most suddenly, and there being not a damn thing you can do. I can help you get justice for Sara, but you gotta put the gun down and talk to me. Okay?"

"How do I know you're not the monster that killed my baby girl?"

"If I was, would I have just told you my name? If I was a serial killer, what makes you think I would come back to a place where I abducted one of my victims? It's not really that smart, don't you think? There might have been witnesses that saw my face. The Identity Thief isn't stupid like that, he knows to not come back to the scene of a crime. I want to catch this guy as much as you do, trust me."

"Why does it matter to you so much?"

"Besides the fact I can help get a serial killer off of the streets, I need to do something that'll leave an impact on this world. I'm dying, Mr. Roberts. I want to go out of this world knowing that I stopped a monster from killing more people. I just want to do some good..." Stiles had tears in his eyes to push the story through, and at a degree he wasn't lying because he had been constantly thinking about what Madame Web had told him about how he was going to die. "I don't want to die without doing something worthwhile."

Gerald took in a deep breath and put the gun in his pocket and put his hand on the teen's shoulder. "Alright, I'm sorry... you can't be too sure anymore. How can I help you, detective?" he made an air quote around the word detective, that made Stiles wince a little.

"Can you tell me if Sara mentioned being afraid, like she was being followed, maybe she saw some guy that was creeping her out, anything that might help." Stiles crossed his arms lightly as Gerald sighed sitting down on a slightly damaged wooden chair.

"No, everything was going great for her. She was going to get into Harvard on a scholarship... she had a boyfriend, he was going to propose to her at their anniversary dinner... she deserved better than what _he_ did to her." Gerald's voice was shaking as he looked down at the ground.

Stiles knelt down and nodded lightly. "I know, and you know what, I will find him. I give you my word. I will make sure he goes to jail for what he's done to your daughter and everyone else he has killed. So, if there is anything, and I mean _anything_ that you can tell me that might help me find this guy, then you need to tell me, even if it doesn't seem all that important. Like what her schedule was, was there any parts of that throughout the week that had the same thing happen regularly?"

"S-Sara would go visit one of her friends in Queens, as she had seizures every now and then. I don't remember her name though." Gerald admitted, and suddenly Stiles went pale as he thought back to when he and Erica were first dating...

* * *

 _Nine Months Ago (2011)_

* * *

 _Stiles watched the door eagerly awaiting Erica's arrival as he tapped his foot against the ground in an annoying rhythm that he had done for years. It was something he had unconsciously picked up from his mother when she was working, or when she was impatient._

 _"Come on, Erica where are you at?" he asked in a whisper, as his girlfriend of three months stepped out of the house looking absolutely beautiful. She might have not been a super model, but by god she was beautiful and he loved her. It was strange for him to think that he was in love with Erica Reyes, but he was. She smiled at him in a teasing manner and Stiles felt himself blush._

 _Erica had her hair up in a bun, strands of loose hair dangled across her face. She was wearing a shirt Stiles had given her as a birthday present, which was a Shadow the Hedgehog symbol laced with fire. Erica loved it so she would wear it more than might be expected, especially with how many clothes she actually owned. Over her shirt was a very light denim jacket that matched her jeans. To top it off she was wearing a brand new pair of Nikes that Stiles had also spent some money on for her birthday (he didn't know what to get her so he tried his best) and she was just absolutely stunning._

 _"Sorry I took so long, my friend stopped by." she admitted, pointing to the car parked nearby._

 _"It's fine, I was just getting a little nervous." Stiles laughed wrapping his arm around her and planting a kiss on her cheek that caused a small giggle from her in turn. "You know, you look kind of sad, what's wrong?"_

 _"It's Sara's dad... he got hurt a couple days ago. He's in the hospital right now and I'm worried about him."_

 _"How'd he get hurt?" Stiles asked, his interest having been peaked._

 _"Someone tried breaking into the building he works at and he tried to stop them. They shot him and left him for dead. Thankfully the security guard that was taking his place showed up in time to call an ambulance."_

 _"He's a security guard?"_

 _"Yeah, he works for Fisk Industries. I guess whoever broke into the building was trying to find some new prototype they were working on or something."_

 _"Fisk Industries, somebody was desperate." Stiles noted, as Fisk Industries was never broken into, in the history of like, ever. That had to be some prototype they were working on if somebody tried breaking in to steal it._

 _Stiles and Erica walked to the movie theater a few blocks down from her house and watched We Bought a Zoo, seeing as tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and Erica had a bunch of family coming over to see her._

 _"Stiles, why do you like me?"_

 _"You know, I don't quite have the answer myself, because there's a lot of reasons and it would take a lot of time to even remotely begin to give you that answer. I think it's mainly because you're the one person that sees me the way I've always wanted to be seen as."_

 _"And what's that?"_

 _"A hero." Stiles smiled, and Erica laid her head on his shoulder._

 _"Yeah, you are my hero..."_

* * *

Stiles almost had a tear run down his face at the memory and then he looked at Gerald with realization.

"Sir, are you a security guard?"

"Yes, why?"

"Were you hurt about nine months ago, in a break in attempt gone wrong?" Stiles asked coldly, and Gerald nodded noticing the ghostly appearance of the Cross Species. "I know who that girl is, and I think you just helped me figure out who that freak really is after. It wasn't because Sara was targeted, she got in his way... did Sara also know Hayley Steele, and Charlotte Hardwell by chance?"

"I believe so... at least about Hayley. I don't know about Charlotte. Why, are they..."

"Unfortunately, yes. The police haven't released the names of the victims except for Sara, it's because they don't want a mass panic just yet."

"Mass panic, there should be, when a family's daughter can't leave their house without being afraid of being taken and killed!" the old man hissed and Stiles nodded as Derek appeared in the doorway, looking confused... _ha! A Confused, sourwolf. I should get my camera out!_

Stiles watched as Derek pulled the photo of Cora out and held his hand out for Stiles to take it. "Mr. Roberts, have you seen your daughter with this woman before she went missing? Maybe they were friends?"

Gerald looked at the photo, his eyes scanning it vigorously like it was a matter of life and death, well it was.

"Yes, I saw her once. She was at Midtown High, the place my daughter went to go see her friend, the one with epilepsy."

"Wait, did you say epilepsy?" Derek asked suddenly, gulping. Stiles turned to look at him and it was only then that Stiles figured out why the Identity Thief went after Cora.

"Yes, I did."

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Roberts. We'll let you know if we find anything out." Stiles said goodbye before the two left, shutting the door behind them.

"What was that about, Derek? Why did you suddenly get the look of someone that just remembered something very important?"

"Stiles, I think I know why Cora was taken... when I got back to town, I met this girl, she's your age. She had a seizure and we became friends... I think the day Cora went missing was the day that the Identity Thief was going to go after her, and I stopped him by getting in the way."

"You know Erica?" Stiles asked, freezing in his spot.

"Yeah, isn't she your girlfriend?"

"She was my girlfriend until a few weeks ago... and I think you're right. She knew Sara Roberts, and Hayley Steele. That means they weren't killed because they look alike, they were killed because they got in his way. Derek, I need you to keep an eye on Erica, do not let anything happen to her."

"Alright, but Stiles... I don't think you'll want me being near her when the Full Moon comes."

"I'm not talking about then, I'm talking about right now. I think she knows that the Identity Thief is still coming after her, because she was afraid the last time I spoke to her, about a scar on her arm, one that caused a classmate of mine to accuse me of causing it."

"So, what do you want me to do then? Just watch her from the shadows?"

"Exactly, let me know if someone is watching her, in say a car or some random pedestrian. He'll be close to her, closer than either of us might suspect."

"Stiles, that's a lot of ground to cover."

"Yeah, maybe... maybe I can help with that." Stiles said with a smile coming to a realization. "Look, my Spider Sense, that ability to sense danger before it happens, it also went off when I was near that piece of metal that was lodged in the wall at Cora's. I'm wondering if it'll go off like that again, but when I'm looking for him."

"So, kind of like a viral sonar?"

"Kind of, but it might show only threats, or people I need to protect. You know in the game Assassin's Creed, how they had Eagle Vision that showed targets in Gold, civilians in blue, and enemies in red?"

Derek just gave him a deadpan look and Stiles laughed lightly. "I guess not... but anyway, that metal had a red hue to it, just like the enemies would. That only makes sense if his blood was on it."

"Stiles, if you're right about this, then that means we might have a way to catch him. Do you realize what this could mean?"

"We could stop him and get your sister back in one go." Stiles nodded as he felt his Spider Sense go off and the area around him turned a dark blue as he saw outside in a car across the street was someone in a red hue. "Derek, we've got a problem. There's someone out there that just set my Spider Sense off."

Derek stepped towards the door to look, only to put his hand back. "That's Shaw... Osborn's assassin. That means he either knows I'm here, or Shaw's been following you."

"Why would Shaw be following me? Norman doesn't know I was bit by the X-95." Stiles gulped as his hands clenched into fists.

"Stiles, did you shut the cameras off when you went to the Hempstead facility?"

"Oh... crap."

"He must have seen you in the Spider Rotunda. We need to get you out of here. You might have powers now, but it doesn't mean you heal like a werewolf." Derek informed him, as Stiles nodded.

"Can you cause a distraction, maybe have the police show up or something?"

"Oh, that I can do. Just be ready to go when I give the signal." Derek announced as his eyes glowed blue.

"Signal, what signal?"

"You'll know what it is, trust me." Derek ran upstairs and disappeared leaving Stiles there to crouch beside the door and look out at the man watching his jeep.

 _What are you going to do, Derek?_

* * *

Shaw kept watch on the door as a figure on top of the building came launching down towards him, landing on the hood of the car. His piercing blue eyes and wolf like features gave him away to be Subject Zero, and Shaw pulled the gun out as the werewolf sent his fist through the glass towards him...

Five gun shots rang out throughout the concrete canyons of Manhattan.

* * *

Stiles heard Derek roar and that had to be his cue to get the hell out of there, so he ran out and got in the jeep and drove off as quickly as he could as people that were walking on the street ran in the other direction.

 _Let's hope that I can figure out how to get that footage out of Norman's hands before he takes it too far._

* * *

 ** _Friday, August 24th_**

* * *

"In 1930, the Republicans controlled the House of Representatives in an effort to elevate the effects of the... anyone? Anyone?" the history teacher asked as most of the students were falling asleep, all except for Stiles and Lydia who were sitting side by side. "The Great Depression... they passed the...? Anyone? Anyone? Ugh... The tariff bill. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. It raised tariffs in order to collect more revenue for the Federal Government. Now, does anyone know the effects?"

Stiles had sweat running down his face even though there was air conditioning and it felt like he was going to get sick. Lydia saw him sweating and put a hand on his arm ever so lightly that it made Stiles look over, thinking it was a bug but found her worrying eyes.

 _You okay_? she mouthed, and Stiles nodded slightly, unsure of what was going on with him. _Are you sure, you don't look good._

 _I'm fine Lydia._ He mouthed back as he leaned forward watching his hands start to twitch and bend like they did when he was on a wall crawling to a ceiling or something.

"It did not work and the United States government sank deeper into the Great Depression. Today we have a similar debate over this... anyone know what this is?"

Stiles felt sweat drip off of his forehead onto the paper he was writing on, and he blinked quickly as he felt like he was about to black out.

"Anyone? Anyone? Has anyone seen this before? The Laffer Act. Anyone know what this says? It says that at this point on the revenue curve you will get exactly the same..."

"...amount of revenue as this point. A very controversial debate that Vice President Bush called Voodoo Economics in 1980..." Stiles answered just as his hands went under the table and before he knew it he found Lydia just staring at him in wonder.

"That is correct Mr. Stilinski... looks like someone actually does know the answer to something for once."

Stiles felt his entire body go numb before his hands jerked forward against the desk and his entire body spasmed as he flew backwards, shattering the desk into a bunch of pieces, sending him crashing to the floor.

He laid there for a moment as he watched Flash and Kong start laughing in the background.

"Mr. Stilinski?" the teacher asked with concern in his while Flash and Kong laughed horrendously.

"Oh! Ha ha ha! Oh my god, you are the hugest spazoid!"

" _And for my next trick - I shall actually trip while sitting down._ " Kong mocked as Stiles looked down as his eyes turned pitch black and a second later turned back to normal as he launched to his feet with a gracefulness that a normal person wouldn't be able to do as Stiles grabbed Flash and Kong by the collars of their shirts.

"How about you shut those stupid faces of yours or I'll shut it for you!"

Flash gulped heavily as Kong threw his hands up in defense, and the teen let them go. "Knock it off for once... Flash, remember what I said."

"That's enough, all of you... Mr. Stilinski are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... just wigged out for a second. I suppose I don't know my own strength sometimes."

"Well, go cool off and then we'll see if we can get you another desk." the teacher ordered, still unsure about Stiles's claims. Stiles nodded before going back to his broken desk, grabbed his things and looked at Lydia. "You don't seem okay... do you still want to work on that thing after school?" she asked with caution, and Stiles nodded.

"Yeah, I'll see you then. I'm going to do as he said and go cool off real quick." Stiles assured her before he left the classroom and called Stilinski. "Hey Dad, can you pick me up? I'm pretty sure the school's going to call in a little bit talking about the fact I just had some sort of spasm or something in class. I want to go have it checked out, if that's okay?"

"Yeah, sure son. I'll be right there."

Stiles got off the phone and collapsed, passing out right then and there in the hallway.

* * *

Stiles woke up with a gasp, to find he was in the hospital laying in a bed with his father sitting beside him and a doctor looking over his charts.

"Stiles! Oh my god, are you okay?" Stilinski asked as Stiles looked around.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"That was a trick question, no you're not. Scott found you in the hallway unconscious and took you to the nurse. I picked you up and brought you here." Stilinski informed him as Stiles scratched his head in confusion. He didn't even remember passing out.

"How many fingers am I holding up, son?" the doctor inquired holding three fingers up.

"Three."

"Any dizziness, blurred vision, nausea?"

"No, I'm thirsty though. I'm really thirsty." Stiles admitted leaning forward as Stilinski squeezed his shoulder lightly.

"Nurse?" the doctor asked of the nurse.

"Yes, doctor."

"So, what happened back at the school, Stiles?"

"I don't, I don't know exactly. I was in class and spasmed, broke a desk I jerked so hard and when I left to go to the office to come here for a check up, I must have passed out, I guess."

"Have you been taking any drugs at all? Marijuana?" the doctor asked of him, and Stiles looked offended.

"No, of course not. My dad's a cop, he would kill me before any drugs would."

"Now's the time to tell me, Stiles. We are going to run blood and urine tests, so..."

"No, I swear. I wouldn't even know where to get any." Stiles admitted, although he had a feeling Kong might know where to get some but that wasn't the point.

"Alright..."

The nurse walked over with a syringe and cleaned the area where the needle would go in. "I need you to just relax your arm, okay? It'll only sting for a sec."

Stiles nodded as she went to inject the needle, and Stiles watched as she had trouble getting the needle into the vein.

"Huh... thick skin you got there."

"You could have fooled me." he laughed sourly.

* * *

The nurse took the blood to the desk and laid it there before returning to her duties as out of the corner came Shaw who now had fresh claw marks on his face that would no doubt leave some horrendous scars, and he grabbed the sample of blood, replacing it with a different one before he disappeared out of the building.

* * *

"Sir?" Justin asked as he, Shaw, and Norman stood in Norman's lab analyzing Stiles' blood.

"The spider venom, it's killing him."

"How?"

" **Well I don't know, do I?!** " He growled menacingly towards Justin. "I can't afford to have another _thing_ to cause problems. Once he dies, you know what will happen to him."

"Yes, I'm afraid so, but that's only if it's natural. If it were say a gun shot, then it wouldn't happen." Justin admitted, looking at Shaw. "How long does he have?"

"Not long. Shaw?"

"Taken care of, sir. After the incident with Subject Zero last night, I won't let him get in the way again."

* * *

 **3:30 P.M.**

* * *

After returning home with a clear bill of health, although for some reason the prognosis was allergies (something Stiles had no idea why that was the case, but he wasn't questioning it and thankful they didn't notice if his DNA was unlike a normal human's), Stiles and Stilinski were greeted by Melissa who had brought something for them.

"What in god's name is that?" Stiles asked looking at the _food_ Melissa set down on the table in front of him and Stilinski.

"Banana bread."

"Banana bread?" Stiles asked, still unsure of what this thing was in front of him. It didn't look like bread to him.

"It has Potassium... It helps to counteract allergies, so just eat it. Potassium is in bananas, bananas are in the bread. You will _eat_ the banana bread."

"I would like a piece." Stilinski asked, and Melissa held her finger up to him.

"No."

"No?" he repeated.

"No, it's for Stiles."

"Rip off..." Stilinski grumbled before leaving the room as Melissa pointed at Stiles with a smile.

"Eat." she ordered, and Stiles just gave a small smile to her as response. Out of all the things that had happened in the past few days, at least Melissa hadn't changed a bit.

* * *

After Melissa's mandatory banana bread snack, Stiles no longer felt great and actually felt sick to his stomach because whether he would say it to Melissa's face or not, she wasn't exactly the best cook. Staying the night there and her (in)famous meatloaf had taught him that little fact first hand.

Stilinski had told Stiles that he was going to return to work and that if anything came up with the Identity Thief case he would make sure to get a hold of Stiles as soon as possible.

So Stiles decided for a little while he would watch television and then go check out the blood sample and that metal from Cora's apartment.

He was technically supposed to be resting, so Stiles was going to do exactly that. Just because he had superhuman abilities didn't mean he should work his butt off every day...

* * *

Stilinski stepped out of the police cruiser as he arrived at the crime scene Diaz had just called him about, and as he saw Diaz look solemnly towards the ground where the young female's body laid in the center of the park. Stilinski knew this park all too well, it was one that he had taken Stiles to countless times when he was younger, and often when Stilinski didn't have to work the two would come here and have lunch and enjoy some quality father and son time. It seemed like all of his good memories with Stiles were being forced to be tainted with pain and suffering over time... first Claudia, and now the park.

"John, I'm sorry to bother you seeing as you had to take your son to the hospital earlier, but this is important... I think your son may be in trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"I think he's caught the attention of the Identity Thief." Diaz announced, and Stilinski's heart stopped suddenly as he looked at the body of the young female whose face was still intact on her body, but the thing was there was a paper on the girl's chest, and two letters carved into her stomach... C.K.

Stilinski knelt down and looked at the paper, seeing the name: Stiles Stilinski...

"How long ago was she found?" Stilinski asked with a cold tone, as he clenched his fists tightly.

"A couple of kids found her about an hour ago. She's been here for only a couple hours at the most, but she died yesterday John... it would match _his_ previous attacks."

"Search the area, see if anyone saw something. This guy is not a ghost, and he's barking up the wrong tree if he's coming after my son..."

Stilinski grabbed his phone and dialed the number of the only person who would be able to catch the Identity Thief...

"What are you doing?"

"He sent my son a message, and the message will be received. Then we're catching the bastard."

"John, we can't let a civilian into the crime scene!"

"Then report me!" John hissed at him, grabbing Diaz by the collar of his uniform, causing the officer to gulp with fear. "I'm done screwing around, this is the sixth victim this guy has killed in the past month, we're not letting him kill anyone else."

* * *

Stiles went up to the lab where he was going to see if he could get anything off of that blood sample and the metal piece that he found at Cora's, having been unable to take a look at it until now.

He checked the analysis only to find it was too contaminated, which was a let down. Stiles looked at the metal piece and pulled his microscope out to take a better look at it.

"Oscorp Industries... Warehouse 5-3B." Stiles looked at it with a tilted head, unsure of what to make of it.

 _The Identity Thief used an Oscorp warehouse? There's some irony in there somewhere._

Stiles stood up as he got a call from his father who had gone back to work.

"Hey Dad, what's up?"

"Stiles, I wanted to let you know we found a sixth victim, and I need you to come meet me right away... I think you know her."

"W-who is it?" Stiles asked, afraid it was Erica.

"I think it's best that you come here, but it's not Erica or Lydia..." Stilinski's voice said with a soft voice, knowing how Stiles felt about Erica, and still felt about Lydia. "There's a note here for you, so you need to get here as soon as you can. We're a few blocks from the high school, I'll send you the address."

Stiles turned his phone off as he put his hands on the table. The Identity Thief was sending a message to Stiles, that the consequences of searching for him would only end in death. Stiles left the house immediately, leaving a message on Lydia's phone saying that he wouldn't be back for a little while and just to make herself at home.

 _It's time I start acting like a spider and I set a web for my prey..._

* * *

Stiles arrived at the crime scene, pushing through the crowd and walked straight up to his father, only to freeze in his spot as he saw the brunette's body on the ground. He blinked heavily for a moment, as his eyes turned pitch black and he took in a deep breath as his Spider Sense went off, and the area around him turned dark blue, and it felt like his brain was about to catch on fire as he looked around, unable to see whatever was setting his Spider Sense off.

"Stiles, I didn't touch the note... but we need to talk about this when you get the chance." Stilinski announced to him as the teenager's eyes turned back to normal and the teenager nodded.

Stiles reached down and grabbed the note, looking at the message.

 _Stay out of my way, or the next person to die will be Lydia Martin._

He growled as he crumpled up the note and threw it on the ground.

"What does it say?" Stilinski asked as Stiles turned to look at him, and all his father could see in the Cross Species' eyes was hatred and pure anger.

 _Camden Lahey... Sara Roberts, Hayley Steele, Charlotte Hardwell, Julie Randall, Brittany Wallert, Gabby Richards, and Tracy Stewart. Eight people he's killed that we know of. If there's more people that's he killed, then I'm going to make sure every single one of them gets justice._

"It says to stay out of his way... or he'll kill Lydia next."

"Stiles," Stilinski whispered lightly next to him so Diaz wouldn't hear. "if you don't want to help anymore with this, you don't have to... I don't want you losing your friends because of this."

"I'm not going to lose anybody, not again... he's just given me all the information I need to find out who he is."

"How so?"

"He's been at Midtown High. The only time Tracy and I have ever talked is in school. For him to know about that small interval of time, then he would have be either a faculty member or a student..."

"Stiles, that's a long stretch. What if you're wrong?"

"Look, we don't have the time to think about the what if's... every second we wait is another second that he gets closer to killing someone else."

"You need to stay out of this now, let the police do the investigating at the school... if you go snooping you can get into a lot of trouble." Stiles nodded lightly, although he wasn't going to tell Stilinski this was not the end of his search, in fact this was just the beginning. Stiles was going to find the Identity Thief, with or without Stilinski backing him.

The Spider was going to catch its prey one way or another. Stiles looked at his phone as it vibrated, and narrowed his eyes.

 _Looks like I'm about to get my web..._

Lydia had texted him, saying that she was at the house.

"Dad, whatever you need me to do, let me know, but in the meantime I need to run home real quick to do some _homework_ you need me to do." Stiles hinted at him, and Stilinski nodded before the teen left, pushing through the crowd, hitting a hooded man who was smiling evilly towards him, but the teen never noticed.

"Well, well... looks like there's some darkness in you after all Stilinski..." the man chuckled as he saw the look in Stiles' eyes, it was the same one he had when he killed every single of his victims...

To be so close to the Identity Thief, and yet not know it, that was the greatest part of this that he could ever think of. Stiles Stilinski would never know who he was unless he wanted him to know...


	24. An Unbreakable Bond

_Chapter Twenty-three: An Unbreakable Bond_

* * *

Lydia arrived at the Stilinski household, and all she could do was take in the surroundings as childhood memories came rushing back to her. To her surprise, she found that everything was pretty much how she remembered it as a child. There was the broken board on the side of the house from when Stiles crashed his bike and his head went through the board... to the left of the house there was an oak tree that Stiles and Lydia would sit under after school and do homework together, cracking jokes to each other that made the other laugh, but in retrospect was absolutely horrible.

She looked back at the street and saw the exact spot where she had watched seven year old Stiles faint at the sight of her bloody knee after she had fallen off of her bike, and Lydia giggled imagining the little Stiles' chubby cheeks.

It was remarkable how much he changed... it was remarkable how much she had changed from that point onward. Lydia stood beside the tree and ran her hand down the bark, remembering their giggles on late afternoons. She remembered how Stiles would try to find her during hide and seek and Lydia would hide under the back porch and Stiles would never think to look under there, or it was just that he knew and wanted her to be happy. That thought made her laugh right then and there, Stiles letting her win... that seemed about appropriate for how he was as a kid, having that crush on her and everything.

Lydia looked at her phone to make sure it was okay to be here, since Stiles wasn't here at the moment.

 _Hey, I'm not going to be home when you get here, there's a key under the back porch, where you used to hide when we were kids. I'll be back as soon as I can. You can head up to my Mom's lab and I'll see you in a bit. Make yourself at home._

Lydia shook her head. So he did let her win all those games of hide and seek after all...

She went to the back porch, reaching underneath the little space in between the steps and the ground where she would hide and grabbed the spare key before heading back to the front of the house.

Before she reached the front door, Lydia found herself stopping in place and looking at the yard one last time. There was a sense of sorrow that overcame her that caused her eyes to water just ever so lightly. Their entire childhood basically happened in this yard, and that tradition had died out during the sixth grade. Lydia wanted to reconnect with that part of their lives, but she didn't want things to get awkward, as bringing up the past usually did that, especially when it came to her and Stiles.

She tried to not think about it much, as it always ended up hurting Stiles in the long run, and that was partially why she hadn't spoken to Stiles all that much after the sixth grade, minus the fact she never seemed to get his attention when she actually did try to talk to him last year.

She stepped inside, taking in every little detail that she could. The living room was a lot different than she remembered mainly because of how dull the walls were. In all honesty the only thing that really looked the same was the couch where she and Stiles would sit and watch television. Lydia smiled and remembered how one night her mom was at work and her dad was out of town, so she came over to spend the night until she got back from work.

Officer Stilinski was a nice guy, and he welcomed the company considering it had only been a few months since Claudia has passed away at the hospital. Stiles was always happy to see her, and they spent the night watching movies, and during that time they had both fallen asleep, notably with Lydia resting her head on Stiles' shoulder.

Her mom never let her live that one down when she showed up, and she could remember how red her cheeks had gotten when she realized that she had fallen asleep on Stiles. Lydia's mom would tease her over it for the next couple years as their friendship started to blossom, that was until the sixth grade. Then they moved and the rest was kind of history.

She continued upstairs to where she came to Stiles' bedroom door, and slowly she stepped through the threshold.

It wasn't right to be in Stiles' bedroom, especially when he wasn't even home, but she was compelled to come in here.

There were pictures of him and his Dad all over the place, some with his mother... one with Scott and Harry, and there were still a couple with Erica in them. However, Lydia couldn't really find one with her and Stiles together in the same photo. She wasn't surprised by this, but it didn't mean that she didn't feel any less bad about it.

She stepped next to his bed, looking at the one pillow he had... it was his mother's pillow. He couldn't sleep without it, unless he was knocked unconscious or passed out, which had happened on a couple occasions. Looking on the nightstand, she found a photo that she wasn't expecting. It was of them in the fifth grade, on her eleventh birthday. Lydia was prominently wearing her spider necklace that Stiles had given her when she was nine, and they were both smiling brightly.

Stiles in the photo had his head turned to her slightly, but she could tell how focused on her he was at the time. She held the photo in her hands and smirked lightly before she heard rain start hitting the windows.

 _Lovely..._ she thought to herself, reminiscing how easily she got sick most of the time. Lydia put the photo down and sat down on the bed, unsure whether she wanted to walk into the lab yet or not, but her answer was given a few seconds later when she heard footsteps in the hallway.

"Hey Lydia, I'm back! I'll be there in just a sec-" Stiles' voice cut off as he entered the room, taking his soaked shirt off, only to be met with Lydia's reddened face. "-ond..." He coughed lightly as they both just stayed frozen in their spots, in absolute awkward silence.

"Hi..." she waved lightly, trying to not look at the shirtless teen, but she found herself staring at his abs. Wait, Stiles Stilinski had abs? There was a shocker.

"Hi..." he greeted with a level of tenderness that he reserved only for her. "I don't think I meant this when I said make yourself at home..."

"S-sorry, I was just looking around." Lydia apologized as she kept trying to not look at his torso.

"You see something you like?" he smirked teasingly as Lydia's face got redder if that was possible.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered, and Stiles held his hands out.

"I'm kidding Lydia."

He reached into his closet and put on a dry shirt, putting the wet one in his dirty clothes basket. "Sorry, I had to go run an errand for my Dad. You ready to go work on that formula?"

"YES!" she burst out, speeding past him out of the room, and all the Cross Species did was laugh.

"And I'm supposed to be the awkward one."

* * *

Lydia looked around the lab, pulled into memories of her childhood, only to be pulled out of them right away by Stiles who had lightly put his hand on her arm. He must have known she was distracted by the way he asked: "You alright?"

In fact the only reason he noticed was because he was trying to make sure he didn't think about the fact Tracy was dead because of him, and he had to play it cool. Everyone would know Tracy was dead by the time tomorrow came, and Stiles didn't want to bring her into this mess. It was bad enough that just knowing him was warrant for the Identity Thief to threaten her.

"Yeah, I was just seeing how much had changed around here since the sixth grade." she admitted and Stiles scratched the back of his head lightly.

"Well, I think you'll have trouble doing that in here, considering you've never been in this lab."

"Right..."

"But, yeah not as much as you would think has changed. We just haven't had the money to paint, get new furniture, pay the bills, and still be able to afford food and hospital bills when they pop up. We've been focusing on the last three things."

"Do you have a job?"

"No, not really. When I get the chance, I'm going to try to work at a place like Horizon Labs or even at Stark Industries if I can, just depends on how things work out for me. I know that's a long way down the road, but everybody has to have their dreams right?"

"Do you have an idea as to what you want to do now?" Lydia asked, watching the teen shake his head.

"Not a clue. I've been dealing with things one day at a time... you know, live in the present." Stiles sighed as Lydia sat down on a chair looking at the picture of Claudia and Stilinski.

"How's your Dad doing?"

"He's doing okay. I've been trying to keep his cholesterol down, but there's only so much I can do when he works all hours of the day. He's been pretty swamped with the murders and the bank robberies, more so the murders."

"The Identity Thief or whatever they're calling him?"

"Yeah." Stiles nodded, as Lydia noticed that Stiles looked taller than normal, to where if they were close enough Lydia would only be high enough on him to place her head on his shoulder. She couldn't be losing her mind, could she? Stiles couldn't have suddenly grown out of nowhere right?

Stiles himself couldn't help but notice the definite height difference between him and Lydia today, and he wondered if it had anything to do with his physical changes that came from the spider bite. He knew he wasn't fast tracking through puberty so that was out of the picture. For about an hour they worked to figure out the formula, having gone back to the basic components seeing if Stiles had made a miscalculation anywhere that could have accounted for the compound the formula needed to be absent.

"So, how long have you been working on this formula?"

"On and off again for a couple years, but consistent work, so far three months."

"So, three months spent on a formula instead of being a normal teenager? Why?" Lydia asked with a laugh.

"Seriously Lyd," he laughed as well, and Lydia smiled at how he said 'Lyd.' "come on, have you seen my resume for outside of school activities? With the fact I'm no longer in a relationship I don't go out as much as I used to, not to mention I'm like Carrie but without the telekinesis and the small fact I'm not a murderous psychopath."

"Well, Carrie's pretty, she had that going for her." Lydia smirked towards him as Stiles raised an eyebrow at her.

"Aw, that's so sweet... if I didn't feel insulted by that." Stiles groaned, crossing his arms like a little child.

"Hey, you're still better looking than Flash with that bowl cut. He looks like a jock version of Howard Wolowitz."

"Thanks?" Stiles responded with a look of disgust and confusion mixed together.

"Why did that sound sarcastic?"

"No reason..." he assured her, although he was a fan of The Big Bang Theory and Howard was his favorite character off of the show. He could have been in an anime at that moment because he literally sweat-dropped and he felt his Spider Sense go off just before he saw Lydia's heel give out, sending her falling towards the ground. Thankfully because of his superhuman reflexes Stiles moved into position and caught her in his arms and also kept a couple canisters of chemicals from breaking. His right hand and foot held the chemicals as he set Lydia back on her feet and put the chemicals down.

"Thanks... how did you do that?"

"What?"

"You caught those with your hand and foot, that's not exactly normal Stiles." she pointed out as Stiles turned red.

"Reflexes and yoga go a long way."

"You do yoga? Am I really supposed to believe that?"

"No, not at all..." he admitted as Lydia looked at the two canisters Stiles had caught, before she gasped.

"I think I just found out the compound we need, Stiles." Stiles handed her the canisters for a second and then looked at the board, and suddenly he figured out the connection as well. With a minor modification it could be strong enough to hold a substantial amount of weight.

"BOO-YAH!" he squealed with joy before lifting Lydia up into a hug, not even realizing Lydia was a little uncomfortable, but she hugged right back seeing as his joy was infectious. "Lydia Martin, you are amazing!"

"I know," she smiled at him as he put her down, neither of them having realized Stiles had just lifted her off of the ground. "I mean, thank you..."

"No, I should be thanking you..."

"Hey, it's what _friends_ are for, right?" she emphasized a bit more than she intended to, making Stiles notice a little too much for his own liking.

"Yeah, that's what they are for. Lydia, you know I was never mad at you right, for not talking to me after you moved... I just want you to know that, okay?"

"Of course." she responded, having been caught off guard by what he had said.

"You know, I always thought we had this unspoken connection..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I believed that you always knew when something was wrong with me when nobody else did, and I knew when something was wrong with you... how you always knew where to find me when you needed me. See, I don't think that any amount of time we spend apart, _not being friends_ , can make that connection... that bond weaken any. It's an unbreakable bond. You get what I mean?"

"I guess, although that's kind of a cheesy romance thing, don't you think?"

"Well, if you ever become single you can think that it was a romantic statement." Stiles smiled, to which Lydia just looked down at her feet. "If you want we can hang out whenever you're free, like we used to."

"I'd like that, a lot."

"So, you want to make this thing or are we just going to stand here awkwardly?"

"Please..."

Stiles walked over next to Lydia and they got to work, and within an hour the formula was completed and the _web fluid_ as Stiles would call it in secret was complete. The Spider now had his web...


	25. The Spider's Strength

_Chapter Twenty-four: The Spider's Strength_

* * *

Here the clairvoyant sat in her fortress of shadows basking in the results of her intervention with Stiles Stilinski only a few days ago, and now she had no doubt in her mind the future was set in stone.

She frowned lightly as a startling thought came across her mind, and she realized it wasn't even her own, but rather that of the teenage Cross Species she had been in contact with for the past few days. It wasn't directed at her, but of course she caught it because she was cursed with knowledge now. The teenager was afraid, and Madame Web raised her eyebrow lightly.

 _Was there a reason for his fear? His trepidation was from the multiple forces working against him, but was it really working against him, or was this just a way to turn him into the man the people he cared about needed him to be?_

 _Yes, I know what I told Mieczyslaw Stilinski when we met, and I still stand by what I said. However, as many do not know death is only the beginning. When I told him he would die, it was because of a promise I had made to someone that cared very deeply for him and someone I knew once. She asked me to put him on the path that would be best for him, and I have completed that promise, all that remains is that Mieczyslaw will do the rest of the work._

 _Time is running out for Stiles Stilinski, and within a week, he will die._

* * *

 ** _Later that night_**

* * *

 _Where do I begin to explain what is going on in my mind currently... well it's honestly a mixture between horror and anger over the Identity Thief's actions, having killed Tracy just because she knew me, and that he threatened Lydia just for knowing me as well. I don't know if he knew I had a crush on her at one point or even at this point in time, I don't know, but that doesn't change the fact he threatened her life. I'm also feeling fear, debilitating fear at the thought that I will die at the hands of Norman Osborn and there is not a thing I can do to change it, and I don't even know when I'm going to die. All I know is my time is running out. What else, oh yeah... I'm also feeling depressed because I know that one of these times, that it's going to be the last time I see Lydia and all of my other friends. Sixteen years old and I'm almost out of time. That would be terrifying for anyone, but I'm just a kid, a kid with superhuman abilities. I mean, with all of my powers I can't do anything to save myself, and that's probably the most terrifying part._

 _It's hard to even think that I have to act like I'm not going to die soon, especially in front of my Dad, who I know when it happens will be in a worse spot than anybody else would be. Who would be there for Dad after I... after I'm gone?_

 _So, what's the game plan then, what can I do that would make it to where dying is a little less painful, to know that I didn't die without leaving a legacy, of sorts?_

 _Well on the less important things to deal with that aren't life threatening at the moment, I still have to get the money I need to pay off my jeep bill so Dad doesn't have to deal with that, especially if I'm gone when the time comes. There's something I've been thinking about that might help, but I'll have to see which comes first right now that I can go after._

 _As for the most important, life threatening situations I have to deal with (something I never thought I would ever have the life for this kind of thing...)_

 _1\. Laura Hale is currently trapped in Oscorp Tower being used as a guinea pig for the Lycan Project, just as Derek was back in 1995. With Lydia's help I just created the adhesive formula that I'm referring to as my web fluid, and with it I can help Derek rescue her. All I need to do now is develop some gadgets that'll disperse the fluid, like a web shooter I suppose you would call it. Once that happens Derek and I will infiltrate Oscorp Tower and rescue Laura. It'll have to be at night so there is less witnesses and resistance. At the same time I'm going to have to either have Derek or myself find and dispose of the camera footage showing me in the Spider Rotunda that held the X-95 in the Hempstead facility. Which means a level of extra stealth that only a spider could do. Yeah, why I figured Derek might be the one for this little objective I don't know, sometimes I like not having to do things, you know. Make the web shooters, make sure they work and figure out a plan to get inside Oscorp Tower and rescue Laura, easy-peasy lemon-squeezy._

 _2\. The Identity Thief case, this is the one that has given me chills and nightmares the past couple nights. That's something I won't talk about is the fact I developed nightmares at the thought of what might happen if he isn't stopped. I think my nightmares are only going to get worse now that Tracy's dead. I have to talk to Carter, that's all there is to it, maybe there's something he can tell me that might tell me more about who the Identity Thief is, or at least something that might help me catch him. Now, the only thing that makes things twenty times worse for the situation is the fact that Derek's other sister, Cora Hale, is being held captive by the Identity Thief right now, and the fact is we don't even know if she's alive. Derek will swear she's alive, but I'm not too sure. She's been missing for months and the Identity Thief usually kills his victims within a month or two of captivity. Cora was taken because Derek got in the way of the Identity Thief without even knowing. He got in the way of the Identity Thief taking Erica, my ex-girlfriend. That added on with Cora being held hostage and Tracy being killed makes it the top of my list. If he goes after Lydia, Scott, Harry, or my Dad, I don't know what I might do to that freak... I'll make sure he suffers more than his victims did, I'll just say that._

 _3\. Norman Osborn's sent somebody after me by the name of Shaw, something tells me he's not coming to have a friendly chat. I'll have to be careful._

 _What's a spider to do, huh?_

* * *

Stiles said goodbye to Lydia after they were finished up, having had some time to chat about things, among them being how excited she was to be interning at Oscorp, and Stiles was surprised to hear that Jackson was the one who got her the internship. Stiles may have not liked Jackson for a long time, but the guy was actually turning his act around and becoming a good guy. Maybe it was just a phase that he was going through, who knows, but Stiles was actually starting to enjoy Jackson Whittemore's existence, and that alone was the scariest thing on the entire planet.

They were sitting there talking just about anything, and for the first time in a long time it felt like they were kids again, and their friendship had never stopped. It was just like old times, except for the fact Stiles wasn't as weird around Lydia, as his crush on her wasn't as difficult to deal with.

Once Stiles said goodbye to Lydia he went back upstairs to the lab where he wrote down the formula for the web fluid and already his mind was going to work to alter it for certain purposes. He would have to test it in the next couple days but he was busy for the mean time. All he needed was its base purpose of being able to act as a web to hold someone in place.

Stiles went to go shut the lab lights off when there was a knock on the wall, making him turn around to show that Derek was standing there in the doorway.

"Hey, I heard there was another murder, was it..." Derek's voice was filled with worry that it might have been Cora, and Stiles knew that feeling of fear, it was one he had every day his father went to work.

"No, it wasn't her... it was one of my classmates, Tracy Stewart. She's dead because of me." Stiles informed him coldly as he sat down in the chair looking at the wall, trying to avoid Derek's gaze.

"What do you mean she's dead because of you?" Derek asked as he stepped into the room, and Stiles took in a deep breath.

"The Identity Thief killed her because she knew me, and the reason he did it was to send a message to stay out of his way."

"So, he knows you're trying to find him, or because you were in his way over Erica."

"Who knows, but either way this just means I have to speed things up with the search. I know you're here about the evidence we got back at Cora's. The blood sample was a bust, we can't do anything about that... it was too contaminated to get anything out of it. The metal though I was able to get an address off of it. Turns out, the Identity Thief apparently used an old Oscorp Warehouse for a location... Warehouse 5-3B. It's over on Staten Island, so if you want to run over there we can take a look at it. If you can wait until in the morning we can go check it out with a little extra firepower." Stiles motioned to the web fluid he had created with Lydia's help. "I gotta make the devices as I said, but I can have it ready by morning. Maybe a little earlier than that if I stay up late."

"Do what you need to do, but it'd be better if we go now because if he's there, this might be our best chance at getting him now, or at least catching a trail."

"Speaking of trail, where did that scent lead?"

"Somewhere down in Hell's Kitchen, an old abandoned house. There was nothing there, I already looked." Derek replied, and Stiles nodded understanding. "He might have used that as a lookout building for some of the crime scenes considering how close they were."

"That's possible. Alright, I guess it can't wait, so we better get going." Stiles went out of the room and went for his room where he grabbed a red hoodie that he slipped on, and a dark leather jacket over it.

As he pulled his hood up, Stiles let all of his emotions fade away until he had a perfectly clear mind and then he went for the jeep.

Thunder rolled through the skies above Queens as Stiles got into the jeep and Derek stepped alongside of the driver's door.

"You go ahead, I'll catch up with you. I need to go do something first." Derek called out through the rain, to which Stiles nodded.

"I'll see you there. Just don't wait too long to get there, I don't want him to get away if he's there."

"Hey, you're a Cross Species... I'm sure you can stop him on your own," Derek smiled as Stiles raised an eyebrow.

"I feel like you're being sarcastic right now!"

"I am, you don't stand a chance without me, kid. Wait for me to arrive and follow my lead..."

"Alright."

Stiles rolled his window up and drove off, as Derek himself ran out of sight into the night.

* * *

"Look, I told you that I need this done, discreetly and quickly." Norman's voice echoed through the hallway as Harry stepped out of the bathroom. Harry raised his eyebrow as he had never heard his father use the word _discreetly_ in the past seventeen years of his life. "Yes, I understand these things take time, especially given the danger that Subject Zero possesses. However, must I remind you the danger that Subject One will pose if he is not dealt with before his _expiration date_ is met, and then we have to deal with the repercussions?! There's a lot more at stake than just having to deal with the subject's death."

Harry slowly stepped forward towards the study as Norman's voice became louder with every word. "Death?" he muttered to himself, confused as to what his father was speaking of.

"We can't have that happen, so you need to pick up the pace and fix this problem, tonight. We can't have another one of those situations. Do what you have to do, just get the job done... yes, green light Mr. Shaw."

 _Shaw? Isn't that the real shady dude that hangs around Oscorp Tower on the days I visit? Why would he be talking to Dad about some subject's death? Scratch that, who or what's the subject? It has to be a what, right? Dad wouldn't resort to murder, he's not a bad guy. Isn't he?_

Harry stood in front of the doorway now as Norman turned to look at him, and the businessman with a sly smile shut the door on him. The teen stood there for a moment and then turned away heading to his room.

Norman stood in the study, silent as he possibly could while watching to see if Harry was gone before he spoke once more. "Stiles Stilinski must not live to see another day. He cannot become anymore of a problem than he is now. Subject One needs to be terminated."

"And Subject Zero?"

"Deal with him accordingly."

"It will be done, sir. Stilinski's headed onto Staten Island right now. It'll be done shortly."

"Good."

* * *

 _So, here I am, driving to some abandoned warehouse that Oscorp Industries hasn't used in literally two decades, in the middle of a thunderstorm, with so much going on in my mind it's almost impossible to think of all of them. I don't like to think that the world revolves around me, because in truth it doesn't. It doesn't revolve just around one person. Unless that person happens to be the sun, then that would actually be true, but since that is not a thing, that's off the table._

 _The drive is lonely, lonelier than I could have imagined. I don't know why, but the closer I get to where the Identity Thief might be, I feel this strange weight fall upon my chest and it's honestly confusing because I'm not afraid, I'm the opposite really. I don't know why, but I'm actually not afraid. I would be afraid normally, I mean, I've been afraid in all of my fights, or when I've encountered someone dangerous, I've been afraid, but now, I'm not. It might just be that I now have super powers to help me through them, who knows, but I'm not afraid. For the first time in my life, I'm not afraid... but I'm feeling something, and whatever it is, it's not like me. I'm almost afraid to find out what this is._

 _The loneliness is probably just causing me to have nerves about this, the what-if's circling around my head, and I block them out the best I can, but I'm drawn back to a single fact that was more surprising than anything... Jackson Whittemore had done a complete 180 on me, having gone from a jerk to nice out of nowhere. I know there's a reason for this, but it's not my place to ask, I guess I should just take this blessing while it lasts._

 _To think, Stiles Stilinski and Jackson Whittemore might actually become friends, there's something that could only happen in a comic book! I mean, that's as unrealistic as I could imagine, and that's coming from the guy who was bitten by a genetically altered spider and gained super powers straight out of a comic book._

 _Speaking of which, it was kind of strange that Jackson had taken a complete U-turn in his personality. I don't know what was going on with him, but maybe he was finally over that "frat boy" phase of his. Who knows, but I'm going to take it as a gift for what it's worth._

 _Maybe Jackson will reveal one day what made him suddenly start acting like a human being finally, but I'll be fine if he never says why. It's just a mystery I'll have to leave unanswered._

* * *

The way the city felt that night, it almost felt like the heavens themselves were crying that night as Lydia drove through the pouring rain towards her house following the rekindling of her friendship with Stiles, if whatever they had could be called that at this point. As much as Lydia hated to admit it, she wasn't sure if what she and Stiles had as kids could be called a friendship. She had hurt him, more than she would probably ever know at this point seeing as time and time again she showed him that their friendship meant nothing to her. He had pain in his voice when they spoke often enough during class, and while recently it might have had to do with Erica breaking up with him, originally it had been because she had been ignoring him far more than what she should have. Did she regret it, yes... could she take it back, no...

Lydia would try to do whatever she could to make their interactions a little less awkward, especially considering how she suddenly became all flabbergasted at the sight of him being shirtless. It wasn't like this was the first time she had seen him shirtless, but then again back then they were kids... and now, to see him that way, so vastly different than he was as a kid, it was surreal. She didn't think it was real, because the last time she checked, Stiles Stilinski was not the person to have a six pack, at least not the way he had one. He must have used a magic lamp to get a genie to change his appearance that drastically, or maybe it was just the clothes that he wore that made him appear to be that skinny, not muscular in the way of a A-list movie star, but more so like he just had a runner's build, which for Stiles that made a lot more sense than anything because he just was that person to run. Stiles didn't fight, as Lydia recalled he was "147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bone." and that sarcasm was his only defense. So, what was the cause of the sudden difference that was going on with Stiles? Lydia had no idea what was up with him, and she wasn't sure if she was just that ignorant, or if it really had come out of the blue.

She had been a bad friend to Stiles, and she wanted to change that. Today was a good step, but Lydia couldn't help but feel there was something else dwelling on Stiles' mind as he was working on that adhesive formula with her. He seemed distant, yet he was still so focused on the task at hand. What was going on with him?

She wouldn't press any further on anything because she didn't want to jeopardize the small strand of what could one day form a real friendship.

The thing was that Lydia knew that she had become a complete douchebag in between the years between when she left during the sixth grade and then came back at the beginning of last year. For her the transformation had been so natural she hadn't really noticed it all too much until Scott of all people pointed it out during Sarah Lincoln's party a few weeks ago. He had made it quite apparent as to how much she had changed, and had been rude to Stiles, who had considered her to be one of his best friends before she moved. Lydia didn't know what to say, and in all honesty she kept the facade going after that, but that's what it was. A facade... for the longest time it had been who she was, but that party was a reality check, one that she wasn't going to ever forget about.

See, when she had moved into the city and transferred to that all girls school, it had been a rather abrupt adjustment that she couldn't just ease into. Lydia was in a new place, and she knew nobody there, and while she was considered to be within the general area of unpopular, the most popular girl at school, Katelyn Mathers had seen something in her that Lydia herself couldn't. She took Lydia under her wing, teaching her literally everything there was to be the Lydia that she became in High School. Before she knew it, Lydia Martin was the most popular girl in all of Midtown High, and the one person she should have held onto throughout that little trip, she left him behind.

That wasn't going to be the case anymore, she hoped at least. Today was a good start, but it was just that, a start. A couple hours working on an adhesive formula and just talking didn't really qualify their status to be bumped up to friends already.

Arriving home, Lydia had a lot of things on her mind when she walked through the door, such as getting dry seeing as her clothes and hair were just completely soaked and of the all things she might have expected she most certainly did not expect to smell food. She thought it must have been her mother cooking dinner since she was in town currently, but when she looked up she found Jackson standing in the kitchen, cooking.

 _Um, what kind of dimension did I just travel to? Jackson Whittemore is cooking food... here at my place? I must be in an alternate dimension or something._

"Hey, you're home." Jackson smiled as he stirred the pot of what looked to be some sort of pasta dish of some kind. "I was wondering when you were going to get home. I'm just about done."

"Okay-" she said with that distinct tone of confusion that made Jackson smile a little bit. "I gotta say, you look so out of place in the kitchen, actually cooking."

"Well, I wanted to do something special, I'm not sure if it's good, because I've never cooked, and your mom helped me the best she could. I just hope I didn't ruin all this food for nothing."

"It smells great, Jackson." she tried to reassure him. "I'll be back out in a minute, I need to get changed into something dry."

"Alright, I'll have the food ready when you get back." he grinned brightly at her before she took off for the bedroom.

* * *

"So, how's Stilinski?" Jackson asked as they ate dinner, which was actually a lot better than what either of them expected. Lydia looked up at him with curiosity as to how he might have known that, but Jackson beat her to the question. "Your mom told me you went to go help Stiles out with something."

"Oh, uh... he's good, I guess. I don't really know if he's okay or anything anymore. We haven't been all that close in years... he wanted help with something his mom was working on before she passed away, an adhesive formula."

"Did you get it figured out?"

"Yeah, Stiles was overlooking a simple component of the formula. It was an easy fix but it took a lot of time to find it because we had to comb through the entire mixture all the way up to that point. But, um... speaking of Stiles, there's something I wanted to ask you. What's with this sudden change in you?"

Jackson looked up at her curiously, unsure of what she was talking about. "Hmm?"

"I'm not trying to say it's a bad thing, it's just... you were a lot different about a week ago, and suddenly you're a lot nicer than you normally are, like helping Stiles out with Flash the other day."

It was only then that he realized what she was referring to and he let out a long deep sigh, his eyes facing the plate in front of him. He laughed for a moment, and while Lydia might not have noticed it all too much, it was more of a depressed laugh if anything.

"Lyd, you know... my mom, Margaret, she's not my real mom. She's just my adopted mother. My-my real parents died before I was born. From what I've been told my mother was kept on life support long enough for him to be born. I spent so long thinking that Margaret, and her husband were my real parents, and when I found out the truth, I was just so angry. I rejected my father, and he died thinking I hated him. It's been eating at me for a long time, and I don't know, I guess I pushed that guilt away behind the fancy cars and the pompous jackass attitude I'm known for. When Margaret married Norman, I guess I was just used to the lifestyle and I became obsessed with becoming the heir to the Oscorp name." He put his fork down and held his forehead as if he had a headache coming on. "Harry and I, we were friends, good friends back then... I became so obsessed with the goal of being the heir of Oscorp that I didn't realize I irreversibly destroyed our friendship."

"Jackson," Lydia whispered, feeling sorry for what he must be feeling at that moment as he looked at her once more.

He had tears in his eyes now, as he cleared his throat. "I never had the chance to meet my real dad... I pushed away the only father I ever had... and Norman, he's the chance I have to finally fix things. I know there's something wrong with Norman, I can just see it in his face at night when he's in his study. He hides it behind a brick wall, but I can see it. He's sick, very sick... I don't want my step-dad to die thinking that I'm a... thinking that I'm a bad guy Lydia. I don't want him thinking I'm a spoiled, entitled brat who only cares about his good looks and his expensive cars... I don't want to be seen like that anymore. I, I've spent so long being Jackass Whittemore that I don't know how to be the guy I was when I was younger. I'm trying to make my way back there. When Flash was being a jerk the other day, I just kind of realized that this was the kind of crowd I was hanging out with... bullies, jerks, people who probably wouldn't make anything of themselves before it was too late. Danny's the only exception to the group, but I'm just tired of being seen as the bad guy. So, I stepped in. I figured, start with the guy I've given the most hell over the years and try to make amends. That's all I can really do, you know?"

Lydia reached across the table, grabbing Jackson's hand tenderly. "I'm sorry... and I'm glad you're working to be better. Who knows, maybe you and Harry can actually rebuild some sort of friendship again."

"Maybe," Jackson muttered lightly, smiling at her lightly. "I'm really lucky to have you in my life Lydia."

Lydia just smiled as both of their phones rang. As they pulled the devices out, the news that came with it shocked both of them. News about Tracy's death had just gotten out...

* * *

 _But yeah, it was a lonely drive and definitely gave me time to think. By the time I even reached the address for the Oscorp warehouse, I wasn't even in the right mindset to deal with a serial killer. I was too worried about everything that was going on in my life right at the moment and all I could do was just run my hands through my soaked hair, droplets of water hitting my face as I took in a deep breath. My heart was racing and it felt like I was going to get sick. Honestly, I didn't know if it was nerves or what, but as soon as I got out of the jeep upon arriving to the warehouse, I collapsed. I must have been having another seizure..._

 _It's happening more frequently now, and I'm starting to wonder what the reason behind it is. It took a few minutes to come out of it, but once I did I was suddenly back on track, finally focusing on the Identity Thief, and what he had done to Tracy... and just like that, I could feel myself being taken over by my anger, and I wasn't going to let him get away if I laid eyes on him, with or without a web to catch him._

* * *

The only noise that could be heard in the street as Stiles stumbled to his feet was the rain hitting the ground, the windshield of the jeep... and he was almost scared by the fact that was the only noise he could hear. There were no cars driving, no music... no talking... just the sound of rain. Stiles stared at the warehouse and couldn't help but think of it as anything but abandoned. From the outside it just looked exactly that, abandoned, yet something in Stiles' gut told him the inside was anything but.

 _What could possibly go wrong?_ Stiles thought to himself as his body shook more uncontrollably, most likely the aftermath of his convulsions. He was not getting used to them, all he was doing was trying to not focus on them as much as he might have otherwise if he didn't have to worry about the Identity Thief and every other thing that he had on his plate right now. Stiles rubbed the back of his head, smoothing out his hood the best he could, his hair feeling awfully taut against the wet fabric.

He groaned internally as the sound of footsteps hitting the wet pavement behind him grew close, causing him to turn and found the Derek standing there with his eyes glowing icy blue, shining through the rain ominously.

"That's creepy as hell!" Stiles exclaimed, as Derek stepped up to him, in his usual creepy fashion that looked cool on footage, but in reality was intimidating.

"Well, I figured you might have sensed me if I tried to attack you like I planned." he joked, (at least Stiles hoped anyway) as his eyes went back to normal. The silence that fell upon them was awkward enough, but neither of them really paid much attention to it as they turned towards the warehouse, and Stiles felt that all too familiar buzzing in the back of his head.

The area around him turned dark blue, and the warehouse was shining bright red. "Yeah, something tells me he's in there."

"What makes you say that?" Derek asked curiously as Stiles's eyes turned pitch black just as it had when he left the crime scene where Tracy had been found.

"My spider sense has the place lit up like a Christmas tree in my vision. You might want to get your claws ready." he advised, heading towards the front door, but stopped just as he reached the handle. "You take the front, I'll use a less noticeable route."

"So, what am I? The tank?"

"Yeah, pretty much... you heal a lot faster than I do."

Derek growled lightly, as Stiles just smiled. "Don't worry, it's one guy we gotta worry about. Just don't get distracted."

"That's my line bug-boy."

"If anything I'm an arachnid, not a bug... now, just be ready." Stiles shook his head, before looking up at a window where he could enter through without drawing attention. He backed up against the jeep on the other side of the street, and took off running towards the warehouse. With one push, he went flying upwards, jumping straight to the window he was hoping to reach, and clung to the surface easily. The rain had no effect on his ability to wall crawl at least. Although, something told him if he tried to cling to a car, that might be a different story.

Stiles looked into the window, seeing the dark storage room inside, and without even thinking about the consequences of what his decision might be, he opened the window and crawled into the warehouse.

It was darker than he expected, he couldn't hardly see his own hand, let alone anything else. Stiles slowly slid down the wall using only his feet and one hand, letting his grip lessen. He landed silently on the floor, as Derek stepped into the warehouse beside him, nearly making the teenager jump out of fear.

"I can't hardly see anything in here."

"Stiles, do me a favor... and focus. Werewolves can see as a wolf... seeing through the dark a lot easier than humans can. Try to see if your sight can change to be that of a wolf, or werespider." Derek informed him, his voice filled with discomfort, obviously confused over how this Cross Species thing really worked, with all the Supernatural business mixed in with it. To be honest, Stiles had about as much of a problem understanding it as him, so he wasn't alone on the problem.

The teen nodded, focusing as hard as he could, waiting a few moments. He imagined switching his sight over to that of his other side... the animal side, but nothing happened. Stiles kept focusing for a few minutes, which probably from an outside view made him look rather constipated, as Derek tapped him on the arm.

"What are you doing?"

Stiles looked over at him with confusion, before saying with a shrug: "trying to change my sight like you said."

"I think you're doing it wrong, because you look like you're trying to go to the bathroom." Derek pointed out coldly, shaking his head as emphasis.

"Fine, I get the point. It's not going to work. Guess I'll have to figure something out to see in environments like this."

Derek looked at him for a moment before he remembered how Stiles had the same intellect that his mother had, so inventing something was right up his alley. The smell in the air caught his attention, and his stomach nearly lurched as he realized what that repugnant smell was. It was blood.

He grabbed Stiles, motioning him towards the source of the smell and eventually they reached a small room that was looked to be the area where C.I.A. operatives would torture people to get the information they need, but a lot bloodier.

On a table most likely used in surgeries, was layers of dried blood. Layers upon layers, upon layers. Derek's nose was burning at the scents as Stiles looked around. It was like they had stepped into the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or something a lot darker.

There were televisions with camera footage aiming at the table and countless other places in the warehouse. Stiles noticed that the camera's memory cards were full as he looked at each one and he found one next to a tv that was listed a long time ago... 2006. It was the same year that Camden Lahey was murdered.

Without even thinking about it he pressed play, and the tv started playing footage of a parking lot, one Stiles recognized almost immediately.

"That's Midtown High." he revealed, as Derek walked over and took a look at the tv. It showed Camden walking towards his car, and someone wearing a hood following him from behind. He had a crowbar in his hand, and when Camden heard him, the crowbar hit the back of the teenager's head, knocking him unconscious. The footage then zoomed in, as the hooded man beat Camden to a bloody pulp. Stiles felt his heart sink into the very pit of his stomach, knowing Camden died without being able to fight back.

The footage ended, and without warning every single television started playing footage of various people tied up, begging for help.

It was dozens of people...

Stiles felt his blood run cold as he saw the footage of all the females that had been taken captive and tortured... they had been here for weeks, months... crying out for help, and none came. He had killed more than just six people...

Derek was busy reading a notebook laying in a box beneath the televisions when he grabbed Stiles bringing him back to reality.

"Stiles, you might want to read this..." Derek whispered, shocked by what he had just read as he handed Stiles the notebook.

"What is this?"

"Just read it..."

* * *

 _There's a beauty in death you cannot possibly understand... if you find this, you will be the first to know that I am the one who killed Camden Lahey, and he won't be the last. You see, doctors have told me that due to a deep traumatic event in my past I could become unstable if I am, oh what's the word, triggered... Triggered means so many things, it's quite easy to misinterpret what the meaning of one particular event is._

 _You see, when I was triggered, I was not psychotic, as many might say I am for what I did to another human being. No, for once in my life I was set free and I could see the world as it was. In a way, I found my purpose. I was to cleanse this planet of people who didn't deserve to walk on it. Camden was the first... and while my next victims were not like Camden, they were still unfit to live. They weren't strong... they were afraid, scared little pests that needed to be dealt with accordingly. I thought that, at least... until I met her. I thought her to be weak... so insignificant that nobody would miss the girl who had seizures to the point where she would be out of school for days recovering. How she couldn't do the simplest things in physical education. I took her, and the one that supposedly loved her, her boyfriend, didn't know that something was wrong. If everything had gone the way it was supposed to, she would have just been considered an unfortunate loss and nobody would know the name... The Identity Thief. I had planned to kill her... but I wanted to make it very clear to her that she was going to die a slow, painful death just as she deserved. Publicly, to one person that has been investigating me, they believe that I am responsible for six deaths. He is wrong about that. I have killed dozens, bordering on triple digits. Nobody knew that I was killing these people because it was just ordinary stabbings. But, 56... she changed me. I thought I had broken her, and I turned my back for one moment, and she managed to escape. She was the one that got away... Erica Reyes got away._

 _And so, I looked for her. It took a long time, but I eventually found her, but Derek Hale, he got in the way... and so I found out who his precious sister was, dear old Cora. She was a tough one, but I got her subdued. She's alive, in case this is Derek reading this right now. Your precious sister is alive, for now. Remember your place and she lives._

 _But, if this is Stiles Stilinski reading this... I have one thing to tell you... you can't stop what I have planned with Erica. You wouldn't understand the half of it..._

* * *

"Stiles, if this is right, he's more of a monster than either of us thought." Derek's voice shook as his eyes turned icy blue, not out of anger, but out of fear for his sister.

The back of Stiles' head buzzed rapidly like a machine gun, and he turned just in time to watch in slow motion as a bullet flew in front of his face, piercing the brick wall on the other side of the room.

"Well... well... well... look what the dog dragged in..." a menacing voice echoed throughout the room as Stiles looked at the source, and out of the shadows came a hooded man, covering his face just enough to show a wicked smile. "Stilinski... did you get my message?"

Stiles's eyes turned pitch black as it became clear to him that this man in front of him, was the Identity Thief.

* * *

Erica opened her eyes awaking from a nightmare, as she held the scar on her left arm. It was the same nightmare she had been having for the past month now, and all she could do was focus on her breathing so she didn't go into a seizure. As she recovered, Erica rose to her feet and noticed something in her window. Quickly moving over to her nightstand, she turned the light on so she could see what was in her window. Taped to the glass was a note, that read " _I'll see you soon..."_

Her chest tightened up in horror. It had to be _him..._ it had to be him, The Identity Thief. He was coming for her, and she knew there was nothing she could do to escape him. If she told anybody...

She moved to her desk where she pulled out a few pieces of papers, addressing each paper to a different person, one of which was Stiles Stilinski.

* * *

Stiles wanted to do so many things to the Identity Thief right now, and the fact was he didn't know why he didn't just go at him right now. Maybe it was because he knew if he went after the Identity Thief right now, they most likely would never find Cora. That might have been it, or maybe it was because he was afraid of what he might do.

"So, you're him?" Stiles asked, coldly as the man just smiled beneath his hood.

"Depends on which _him_ you're referring to... if it's The Identity Thief, then yes... I am him." he sneered at the teenager, not unlike someone Stiles knew, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

"Why did you kill Tracy?"

"Did you not even read the letter, kid? You got in my way... started investigating me. You figured out a lot more than anyone else has..."

"So, you're worried I'm close to finding out who you are, is that it?" Stiles asked, anger filling up inside him.

"If I was worried, you'd be dead right about now... you're too stupid to figure out who I am. You just don't realize it." The Identity Thief laughed lowly as Derek stepped forward. "Heel, wolfy. Don't forget, I'm the only person who knows where your little sister is. You do anything to me, you won't be able to see her alive ever again, and from what I understand, your family is running kind of low right now isn't it?"

Derek growled loudly as his eyes shined through the room. "I'm going to kill you."

"No, you're not..." the man remarked. "Now, kid... just listen to what I'm saying... I don't know how you figured out I used this for my work, but this is where it needs to end. I meant what I said... you come after me, and Lydia Martin will be the next to die. I know how you feel about her, so I suggest you do yourself and her a favor. Back off, before you end up mourning her."

Stiles couldn't handle having Lydia's name be mentioned as he launched forward, disappearing into the shadows, unable to be seen by the Identity Thief. Before the killer could react Stiles was upon him, grabbing him around the throat with his arm, putting him into a headlock.

"Don't you ever bring her into this! YOU HEAR ME?!" he roared, his voice full of murderous intent.

"Oh, trust me... I hear you."

Stiles' spider sense went off as the Identity Thief pulled a knife out, stabbing Stiles right in his leg, causing him to loosen his grip. The Identity Thief broke free, and grabbed Stiles by the hood, pulling him down. Stiles watched as the Identity Thief brought his knee up, smashing into his nose, breaking it. The teenager fell backwards onto the ground with blood seeping out of his nose as the Identity Thief pointed at Derek.

"You know, I learned a lot about your kind, Mr. Hale... and one of the things I learned is that you can track my scent. That's why I've figured out a way to block that. You are going to wait here with poor little Stiles until I leave, and until you know I am long gone, you are not going to step out of this building. I will know if you do, and if you do not listen to me, I will kill Cora. That is not a threat, it is a damn promise. So, you better follow that order like the obedient little dog you are."

The Identity Thief pulled the knife out of Stiles' leg and began walking away, only stopping for a moment to look at the teenager.

"I get it, Mr. Stilinski... I really do. I know you care deeply about Ms. Martin, and if you do as I ask, I won't lay a finger on her, however if you get in my way any further, I won't think twice to harm her."

"I'm going to find you, and when I do, you're going to pay for everything..." Stiles growled, as he set his nose back into place.

The Identity Thief nodded, understanding the teenager's threat, before pulling him up to his knees. "I doubt we'll see each other again..."

He punched Stiles in the mouth, splitting his lip open and knocked him to the floor before leaving, shutting the door behind him. Moments later the smell of bleach seeped into Derek's nose, telling him he had just covered his scent. Even then, that scent was faint when the Identity Thief was in the room with them. He just couldn't get a hold on it. Derek sighed as he rushed to Stiles' side...

"You alright?" Derek asked as he watched Stiles roll his eyes.

"Oh go chase a car..."

"Yup, you're alright."

* * *

Stiles had Derek help him to his feet as he wrapped his leg with bandages the werewolf had found in one of the shelves near the Identity Thief's torture room. The wound from the knife was stinging as he moved but he found it to be nowhere near as bad as what the wounds Derek had inflicted on him the other night had been.

"Derek, we need to get to Queens... he's going to be going after Erica."

"I know, I figured that one out on my own genius." the werewolf retorted as Stiles limped towards the doorway following him. "I can get there a lot faster than you can. He'd have to take a vehicle to get her, and while I hate to say it... you won't be able to keep up right now."

"I can keep up, I don't have to _run_... I can use other ways to get around." Stiles pointed out remarking to his wall crawling abilities but found Derek wasn't paying that much attention to him at the moment as he burst through that door, right as Stiles's spider sense went off again. "DEREK LOOK OUT!"

Without any time to react, Derek was thrown across the road upon being hit by a car. The car skidded to a halt, as Shaw stepped out of it, pointing a gun right at Stiles.

"Son of a..."

"Your time's up kid..." Shaw hissed as Stiles looked over at the unconscious werewolf laying against the sidewalk a good hundred feet away.

 _CAN I PLEASE GET ONE BREAK... PLEASE?!_

Gunshots rang throughout the streets...

* * *

Lydia finished eating, unconsciously fiddling with her necklace as Jackson took her plate and took it to the sink. "You really like that necklace, don't you?" he asked her, giving a half-cough half-laugh along with the question.

"Yeah... I do." she responded with a minuscule smile, feeling its warmth in her hands. "I've had it since I was nine."

"Really? Why don't you ever wear a different one? I've bought you a couple and you never wear them."

She sighed for a moment, knowing he was going to ask that one way or another. "It, it's kind of silly really."

"How so?"

"It makes me feel safe... the person that made it for me, he made it for my ninth birthday. It was the first thing I ever received that wasn't expensive or cheap. He made it himself... and I felt it was a way to say that if I was ever alone, and scared... to remind myself that I wasn't alone, no matter what. Silly, I know."

"I don't think so, I think it's a nice sentiment to have." Jackson smirked at her, causing her to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"Are you trying to use bigger words?"

"Well, I got a family that runs a big company, and my girlfriend is interning there. Bigger words would kind of help me feel like I'm not a complete idiot." he laughed before taking a look at the spider symbol that hung on her chain. "Who made it for you?"

"It, it was made by Stiles. It was back when he had that huge crush on me. I might not have felt the same way about him, I loved the gift anyway. We were actually pretty close back then, and..."

"Stiles made you feel safe."

"Yeah... I know it sounds weird considering how Stiles and I are now, but back then Stiles could make me feel safe, like there was no reason to worry about anything. If I was in pain he would always make me laugh, whether it was unintentional or not. He just, he just made it feel like the world wasn't a bad place."

"So, I get why you wore it back then, but why now?"

"It reminds me of what I messed up back when I moved... and when High School started. I didn't want to forget what I had back then."

Jackson eyed her suspiciously for a moment as he cleaned the table up, and lowered his head as a thought came across his mind.

"Lydia, could there be another reason as to why you wear it still?"

She was stunned by the question, unsure of what Jackson was trying to refer to there, as she adamantly shook her head. "No, there's not."

"Okay."

The strawberry blonde held the spider necklace in her hand as she felt this sudden rush of fear overwhelm her senses and for whatever reason she felt Stiles was in trouble.

 _Why would I think he's in trouble?_ she wondered, having forgotten what Stiles had said to her just a few hours ago.

 _"Well, I believed that you always knew when something was wrong with me when nobody else did, and I knew when something was wrong with you... how you always knew where to find me when you needed me."_

* * *

Stiles held his arm as he hid behind a tall shelf in the warehouse looking at the bullet stuck in his bicep.

"Come on, kid... it's nothing personal! I was ordered to kill you. You're going to die anyway, let's just make it happen faster and less painful. It'll be one bullet to the brain. You won't feel a thing!" Shaw called out from the darkness as Stiles growled. He needed to find something to help him see Shaw, that way he could even the score. Superhuman abilities or not, Stiles was still at a disadvantage and he needed to change it, quickly.

"I'm sorry! I can't do that, I'm allergic to bullets, they ruin my complexion!" he hollered back at Shaw before running like the wind out of there, launching into the air for an aerial view, hoping that Shaw was unaware of his abilities.

"So, you're one of those kids with a sense of humor, huh? We'll see if you have one when I'm done with you."

Stiles rolled his eyes, crawling around on the walls trying to figure out what to do. Using his spider sense, he found where Shaw was moving around at, but he couldn't see the environment, only Shaw's silhouette. He needed to find a light switch, or something. Standing up (on the wall) Stiles was shocked that he was able to do so, and prompted to run as quickly as he could around the room, using his spider sense to hopefully find one.

 _Ring around the rosie..._ he thought to himself as he saw a glimpse of something golden in his sight on the very edge of the warehouse floor.

"Where the hell are you?!" Shaw growled as Stiles just smiled, launching off of the wall and rolled to his feet rushing through the rows of shelves towards what he hoped was a light switch. Upon reaching it, Stiles punched the switch to the point it broke. Lights turned on throughout the entire warehouse, and he happened to see Shaw step out from around a corner just as the lights came on.

"Right here..." Stiles growled, feeling his natural instincts kick in as he ran forward towards Shaw.

"So, you're suicidal?! Make up your mind!"

Shaw shot towards Stiles, the teenager using his Web Rush ability to dodge the bullets, rolling out of the way and such. His body was moving as quickly as it could, closing the distance between them.

Stiles slammed into Shaw, tackling him against one of the shelves, making the assassin drop his weapon. Shaw punched Stiles in the gut three times in a row in an effort to get him off, but Stiles was not moving.

The Cross Species was taking those punches without any thought to the pain he was experiencing as he brought his fist back and began pummeling him. Shaw reached for his pocket as Stiles' Spider Sense went off, making his eyes grow wide, launching onto the top of the shelf as Shaw brought out another gun.

"Two guns! Really?!" Stiles asked with that annoyed tone that Derek would normally use with him.

Shaw fired, as Stiles jumped down, racing towards the stairs with the assassin still firing towards him.

 _I hope that cliche about the dozens of bullets being fired and the **hero** never getting hit is real, because I NEED IT RIGHT ABOUT NOW!_

He heard no more shots from the gun as Stiles climbed to the second floor, noticing metal chains hanging in front of him. Something told him to grab the chains as his Spider Sense went off again as he saw Shaw enter the warehouse again, with... it couldn't be.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHERE DID YOU GET A ROCKET LAUNCHER?!" Stiles asked in horror as Shaw just smiled evilly towards him.

 _I need to finish this, now!_

Shaw shot the rocket at Stiles as the teenager launched into the air, reaching out and grabbing a metal chain hanging above the warehouse floor. The rocket impacted with the ceiling as Stiles neared it, and the explosion engulfed him.

Shaw threw the rocket launcher to the ground as he watched in horror and disbelief as the teenager flew through the flames swinging straight towards him...

Down Stiles came, swinging from the chain, feet extended to kick him during his swing. Shaw couldn't move fast enough as Stiles connected his kick, pulling the chain off of the hoist as his kick sent Shaw flying through the warehouse, and through a wall right onto the hood of the assassin's car. Stiles landed with an emotionless face exiting the warehouse with the chain in hand as Shaw looked at him in fear.

"What... are... you..." he asked through pained breaths.

"I'm the teenager you couldn't beat." Stiles jerked his arm down, sending the chain flying into Shaw's neck, wrapping around it, pulling him to Stiles. Letting go of the chain Stiles grabbed Shaw and lifted him into the air.

"You realize that because you fought back, I'll be back, but instead of what you might expect, I'll bring your family, the ones you love into this. If I don't, Osborn will."

"Then send a message to Osborn for me. Tell him that I'm not going to die so easily. I don't know what he wants from me, but he's not going to get it. If he brings my friends and family into this, then I will make sure everyone knows the truth about him... and by the way, just in case you want to think about not telling him that..." Stiles held up his hand and pressed his palm against Shaw's face. "I imagine that because of my adhesive abilities, I can use it to burn your face. Do you want me to do that?"

"No, please god no..."

"So, are you going to tell him what I said?!" Stiles growled at him menacingly, as Shaw nodded with fear, before the teen smiled. "Thank you. Now, take a nap, sap." Stiles headbutted him, knocking him out as he heard a grunt behind him, seeing Derek coming to.

"St-Stiles!" Derek called realizing who must have hit him, and he looked fearful as he got to his feet, only to find Stiles holding the unconscious assassin with one hand. "What? You beat him?"

"Well, yeah... what else did you expect?" Stiles asked with a smile, in which the cuts on his face and his burned clothes showed the danger of the fight. "So, I'll see you later. Get to Erica's, make sure she's okay. Let me know if she's not."

"Will do. What are you going to do with him?" Derek asked motioning towards Shaw as the teen dropped him.

"Nothing. He's going to send a message to Norman Osborn for me. If he wants me, he can come and get me himself."

* * *

Stiles arrived at home just before three in the morning, drained from his fight with Shaw, and needing to deal with his wounds he snuck his way up to his lab where he peeled his bloodied shirt off, pulling his first aid kit out of the drawer and some tweezers to pull the bullets out of his body. He had never stitched himself up before, and something told him he was going to be in a world of hurt.

He leaned back in his chair as he grabbed the tweezers, reaching towards the bullet lodged in his arm, and took in a deep breath. While he did so, he looked at a picture on the desk, one of him and Lydia. It was the same photo that he had in his bedroom, and he made a promise that he wouldn't let Lydia get hurt because of the Identity Thief, or Norman Osborn. He would never let them touch a single hair on her body.

As he grabbed the bullet, he heard Madame Web's disembodied voice echo in the back of his mind...

 _Time is running out, Mieczyslaw._


	26. Bonesaw

_Chapter Twenty-five: Bonesaw_

* * *

 ** _Saturday, August 25th_**

* * *

Stiles would sit there for the next half an hour patching himself up, trying to not pass out from the sight of a needle going in and out of his skin as he stitched it all together. He had seen it enough on television, and as much as he might try to say otherwise, he still nearly passed out from certain things like needles.

He couldn't help but think back to what happened when the Identity Thief revealed himself in the warehouse. Stiles might have been hit with a knife, but he didn't forget that the serial killer had a gun. The teen had barely dodged the bullet he had fired, and even then Stiles had let his emotions get in the way when he finally got close enough to him. Stiles had him in a headlock and he wasn't able to react in time to dodge that knife. When he mentioned Lydia, Stiles lost sight of everything, he let his guard down. _What a rookie mistake_ , he thought to himself quietly.

Stiles laughed at himself, noting how he sounded like a hero that had been doing this thing for years. What was he doing here? He wasn't a fighter, yet he had done more fighting in the past couple weeks than his entire life. He saved Derek from those robots, destroyed them like they were nothing and that wasn't even him trying. Stiles then recalled his fight with Shaw... he was becoming more of a fighter as his powers continued to grow. It was becoming a part of his instinct. Would he have fighting become a part of his DNA? Was it because of the werewolf part of the Cross Species side of him that he was fighting more, or was it because he was being thrust into a dangerous world where being a pacifist got you killed. Who knows really, but all Stiles knew was that fighting more often meant he was going to need to learn first aid.

Pulling the bullet out of his arm he screamed in pain, muffling it the best he could by keeping his mouth shut. Dropping it onto the desk Stiles exhaled heavily as the blood ran down his arm. He couldn't believe how much it hurt. He grabbed the thread and needle as he heard his father's footsteps going through the hallway, coming towards him.

Panic rushed over Stiles like a tsunami, and the teenager realized he didn't look too good, especially with a bullet wound. He quickly threw his jacket on, hiding all of his wounds the best he could as he saw his dad pop his head in the doorway.

"Stiles, everything okay? I thought I heard you scream." he asked with worry in his voice as Stiles smiled nervously at him.

"Y-y-yeah! Everything's fine Dad!" he assured him, covering his leg and torso the best he could. However he could not hide the split lip and the bruised nose that was still broken but at least was set in place. With luck his enhanced healing would have him fixed up by tonight when the Basketball game came. It's only 3 in the morning right now, but Stiles knew he needed to rest for a bit, and he didn't know if he was going to be fixed in time for the game.

"Are you sure, what's up with this?" Stilinski asked sarcastically making a motion around his own face.

"Oh, that..." he chuckled, touching his lip and nose. "I was working on a project and it um, hit me in the face."

"Ah," Stilinski nodded, understanding how dangerous some of the stuff Stiles worked on was. "Be more careful kiddo."

"Sure thing, hey Dad... have you ever had stitches?"

"Yeah, many times, why?"

"Did they hurt?"

"Yeah, but usually the doctors put me on some sort of medicine to make it easier, but it does still hurt. Why, do you think you need stitches for something?"

"No. I was wondering because someone like the Identity Thief, he wouldn't just go to the hospital because of an injury he got because of the murders he committed and how he seemed to get injured during some of the body drop offs. I was thinking that perhaps he learned how to stitch himself up and all that. That way he could avoid the questions that might come from police if he were possibly stabbed with a knife or anything of the sort."

"That's possible, but you're sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright Dad." Stiles assured him before Stilinski took in a breath.

"Alright, I just don't want you hiding anything from me because I'm a cop. You can trust me, you know that right?"

Stiles saw the pained look in his father's eyes, and it was only then that Stiles realized that he had been hiding things from Stilinski, lying to him. He sighed, stepping to his father pulling him into a hug.

"I do trust you..."

Stilinski clung onto his son tightly, feeling the same worry he had when Claudia was sick. It was that worry that told him there was in fact something wrong with his son, but he wasn't going to pressure Stiles into anything.

"I love you pops." Stiles told him, with tears forming as he thought back to what Madame Web told him...

"I love you too son."

Stiles could feel the pain from his wounds, especially the bullet wound that his father's arm was pressed up against, and he fought the urge to make a noise of any kind.

"I know the past few days I've been kind of distant, and I'm sorry about that. It's just, I have a lot to worry about right now, with the Identity Thief and all that. And I've been meaning to tell you, I'm playing in tonight's game."

"Really? Stiles, that's great!" Stilinski cheered with joy giving him a bright smile.

"So, will you come to the game?" Stiles asked hopeful, to which Stilinski nodded.

"Yes, on what planet would I miss the first game you'd get to play in?" he asked as Stiles smiled brightly at him. All Stiles wanted to do before his _time_ was up was to make his father proud, just one time. That was what he wanted to do, and he was going to make sure he did that. "But, I do have to go to work. I get off at 3, and I'll be able to get to the game. It's against Devenford Prep, right?"

"Yeah."

"It should be quite the match then, I'll see you later tonight. And, do me a favor... get some sleep. I know what you must be feeling after seeing what happened to Tracy, but you won't do any good if you're exhausted."

"Alright, see you later Dad."

Stilinski shut the door behind him, as Stiles ripped his jacket off once the door latched shut, holding the bloody wound tightly trying to hold back his cries. The pain was like his muscles were on fire, and he reached for a needle and thread.

 _I might hate needles, but there's no choice..._

"Whoa, hold it." a voice called as Stiles went to pierce the skin, only to find it was Derek stepping in. "You don't have a clue as to how to do it. Do it wrong and you'll be in a lot worse shape than you were when you started. Sit."

"Jesus, you need to stop doing that Batman routine of yours. Popping out of nowhere is warrant for a heart attack."

Stiles did as he said, sitting down as the werewolf took the needle and thread, putting it together, only to look at Stiles' arm where the bullet wound was. "Really, that's what you're stitching? Stiles, you don't need that. You get hit with claws that go deep, that is when you'll need them."

"Then what do I need?"

Derek pulled out a lighter from his pocket. "You need to burn it to stop the bleeding, and then your healing will take over."

"Oh I'd rather stick a needle into my eye than that.." he admitted lowly, as Derek sighed. "What?"

"I need a bigger lighter. I'll be right back. I believe your father has one downstairs near the grill, right?"

Stiles gulped as Derek left the room, and prayed for the best.

* * *

Okay, so after being burned on his arm and his leg where he was bleeding still, Stiles was now covered in bandages and was wishing horrible things to happen to the werewolf right about now. Stiles was still clenching his fists as Derek sat down beside him against the wall.

"Erica's safe, for now. She is up with her parents. I wanted to come let you know, and that's when I entered your window."

"Okay... did anything seem out of the ordinary?"

"Not really, but knowing the Identity Thief he might have been hiding. I doubt he'll try anything with Erica's parents being right there."

"I need to do something. I had him in my grasp, and he got away. Derek, you remember how I said I could make something to help get Laura out of Oscorp? I have the fluid for it made, I gotta make the devices. Once that's done, we'll go get her... but we will need a plan to do so. Just keep Erica safe until I'm ready to move. We'll have her freed soon, I promise."

"Alright, just let me know." Derek nodded, before getting up and jumping out of the window, disappearing like a ghost.

Stiles cracked his knuckles, sliding over to his desk as he put a shirt on, preparing himself to create what was going to be the most important tool in his arsenal...

"Alright Mom... let's see how much of that ingenuity of yours I inherited."

He took in a deep breath as he began working to create his web shooters. Stiles began by creating a holder for the webs, by taking two mechanical watches and pulling the insides and that out, utterly having just the metal ring that held the hands of the clock. Grabbing a few cartridges he made after Lydia left and went to work using his technical knowledge...

Using a pair of tweezers Stiles put the small carousel in the watch's face into its very heart, and using a small hole on the back Stiles inserted the web cartridges into the carousel seeing as it would fall perfectly in line. He put the first cartridge in and as he went to shoot a web line by piercing the cartridge seal... Stiles found himself thrown across the room after being hit with an explosion of web. It was only a minute after coming to his senses that Stiles realized he was stuck to the wall.

 _Cute, I feel like a bug on a windshield._ Using his strength Stiles broke free and shook the impact off before jumping back over to his desk to work on the seal more, realizing that he made the concoction of webbing a little too strong. He played around with it for a few minutes, and once it shot onto the wall in the right spot (a little dartboard, right on the bullseye) Stiles jumped up, dancing in triumph.

The web fluid could theoretically hold up to a few tons if the webbing was strong enough, but if the steel nipple that pierces the seal of the web cartridge inside of the carousel of the shooter, allowing the web fluid to travel through an air tight channel towards the nozzle, at the same time pressing the pressure sensitive trigger on the palm of his hand would cause the valve in the nozzle to open wider, expelling the fluid, which also meant if the trigger was released the valve would close, cutting off the web-line or fluid, was unable to pierce the seal and could not sever it due to the strength of the web fluid, it could entangle Stiles or end up tying him to the object the web connected to, as what Stiles had concluded when he first got the carousel set in the device.

He had the web shooters set to where he could only use his two middle fingers to cause the webs to shoot out, or he could use his other hand's thumb to activate the web shooter's spread mechanism to send the webs out in two different spots. Stiles figured he could make sure it was used with enough pressure that he himself could create with his two middle fingers that way there was no accidental discharge of the web fluid.

Stiles smiled lightly as he put his jacket on, noting how the web shooters could be hidden underneath his sleeves, but he would need to find a different way to cloak them from sight, maybe turn the overall devices into some sort of wristbands or bracelets... so it wouldn't be so obvious that they were meant for something else.

He looked at the time, finding it to be nearing five in the morning, and seeing as there was no school today, Stiles shut his lab down and went to his room, falling asleep, with nightmares of the Identity Thief hurting his friends and his father.

Needless to say, Stiles woke up screaming.

* * *

When he woke up, he found a message on his phone from Derek, telling him that he needed to check the attic... to which he found weird but went up to the attic, and he felt his Spider Sense go off. It was different though, it wasn't from him being in danger... it was because there was something he was looking for in here, and he didn't even realize it.

As he stepped into the attic, he found on the wall was shelves full of boxes, all labeled: Claudia's...

His heart skipped a beat as his sight turned dark blue, and one of the boxes turned gold. Stiles grabbed the box and pulled it out, finding multiple notebooks... labeled Cross Species journals.

Stiles couldn't believe it as he pulled each notebook out, reading through them, not able to believe what laid inside. It was everything that he hadn't been expecting, and everything he had been all in one go.

And suddenly, Stiles realized why he was getting seizures, not because of what Madame Web told him, but because of what CLAUDIA told him.

The journals, they weren't just Claudia's thoughts, they were for Stiles...

* * *

 _Stiles, i **f** you are reading this, then surely I must be dead... and by the time you find this, you are most likely nearing adulthood, or you are far beyond that. I do not know, all **I** know is that it must be you that has found this, because your father would never touch my things... I know him too well. So, I leave this to you, because I know you will find these, and if you are anything like me, you have already started on a path I undoubtedly put you on without you ever knowing. The **X** -95... it is my greatest creation, and my most dangerous, and I intended to tell you about it, but circumstances stopped me from doing so. So, I tell you now that this is the key that my boss, Norman Osborn needs to doing every unspeakable action he has thought of his entire life. You see, there are only a few people the X-95 can bite, and turn them into a Cross Species, a true Cross Species. Not some feral monster that doesn't have control. You, Stiles... are one of **t** hose few people that can become a Cross Species. I knew t **h** at if anyone would be fit to become one, it was you. Som **e** thing about your DNA in particular, not mine, not your father's... just your's... is a perfect match for it. I don't know how, or why, what I do know is, if you get bitten by the X-95, your life will never be the same. You will de **v** elop powers unlike anything you could imagine. These powers will come with a cost, as your body w **i** ll not be prepared for them, and you will face seizures. These seizures are your body a **d** apting to the powers, making them truly yours. Once you have all of your abilities, the seizures will stop. B **e** cause of the nature of the science, I am unsure **o** f what the mutation you will have will be. You might have met Derek Hale, or as Oscorp calls him, Subject Zero. He is the only one I trust to help you through this. **T** rust him, because he will know how t **o** help you more than even I can. The truth is, Stiles... the X-95 is your inheritance. It will be your gift, and curse. Use it **f** or what you want, but please... do not use it to hurt people. I would w **i** sh that you would use it for the betterment of people's lives, to ho **n** or your father's hard work, and what I spent the last precious years of my life devoted on. See, Norman Osborn believes the X-95 was to save his life, but in truth... it was to help you save lives. I know you are only eight years ol **d** when I write this, but understand that I know you are just like us... you have your father's heart when it comes to protecting New York City, you want to help people, and you have my smarts. **T** ogether, with the X-95, you can do so many things to help the city, and I can only **h** ope that when you read this, or if you ever read this, it is because you are on that path finally. It might not be th **e** ideal one, you might be closer to the end of that path than I realize, but I have to hope you will become the man I have always dreamed you would become. See, Stiles... you always **t** alked about being a hero like your Dad, but you were already one... you are my he **r** o Stiles... and I want you to save lives... just as you saved mine... you gave me a p **u** rpose in my final years, and while I may not see the man you become, I will always be proud of you. I ask one **t** hing, and one thing only. Do not let Norman Osborn get what he wants. If he does, more people will suffer, just as I **h** ave... as Derek has, and so many more._

 _You are not dying because of the seizures, you are merely evolving. I love you, Stiles... remember that, and also remember, I am not really gone... as I am still here..._

Stiles had tears running down his face as he felt the back of his neck where the X-95 had bit him, and he felt a horrible tsunami of emotions rush upon him. He was angry that she had wanted him to get these powers, he was happy to know that he wasn't bit on accident, and he felt a blanket of depression knowing he was going to die, very soon. He wouldn't make his mom proud... and he wouldn't be able to stop Norman from getting what he wanted.

He sat down against the wall and every little failure he had came across his mind.

As he stared at the notebook, he noticed that certain letters were bolder than the rest. When put together it spelled out a sentence...

 **Fix the video to find the truth.**

What the hell did that mean?

Thinking back, Stiles thought to the flash drive he had downloaded the video files that were on his mother's Oscorp account.

There was that one corrupted file that he couldn't access. Could that be it? He rushed downstairs to his room, searching for his flash drive, which he found wedged underneath his bed, pinned by his nightstand. Stiles grabbed it and plugged it into his computer looking at the file that was labeled as Mischief... It was the file that was corrupted. Stiles didn't know if he had time to fix this file, but he knew someone who could fix it for him.

* * *

Imagine how angry Norman was when Shaw came into the office that following morning, covered in dry blood and looked defeated. He knew immediately that Shaw had been unable to kill Stiles, and the CEO had a meltdown moments after the revelation came upon him.

"Sir, I... I don't know how he beat me. He should have been too weak to even fight me, but he won."

"Obviously he's not dying like we all thought. Did you happen to get a blood sample from him or anything that we could use?"

"I managed to shoot him, and when he was struggling with me, his blood fell onto my gun. Here." Shaw informed him handing him the gun. "And sir, the boy wanted me to send you a message..."

"Oh really, and what message was that?"

"If you want him, you can come and get him yourself. And to leave his friends and family out of it or else."

"So the kid thinks he can threaten me? We'll see about that. Justin!" Norman barked as his assistant came at his beck and call. "Take Mr. Shaw's gun and have Octavius analyze the DNA on it. It appears Subject One is not what we believe him to be."

"Yes sir."

* * *

As the basketball game was drawing close, Stiles entered the locker room where he found Danny getting ready when the Cross Species leaned up against the locker next to him all cool like, although to Danny might have been trying to seduce him. Stiles then had that startling thought on whether he looked attractive to gay guys or not. Shaking that thought off he smiled at Danny as the teenager looked at him strangely.

"Hey Danny, buddy old pal..."

Danny raised his eyebrow, sensing that Stiles was going to ask him for something.

"What can I help you with Stiles?" he asked, shutting his locker to look at Stiles who was smiling like a madman.

"Wow, straight to the point... your boyfriends must not like that, I mean... haha." he chuckled nervously as Danny crossed his arms. "I mean, I'm not against that in any way, it just... oh I dug a hole for myself haven't I?" Stiles lowered his head in shame as Danny held up his finger and thumb which were only an inch away from each other.

"A little bit, what's up?"

"You do tech work right with cameras and that?" Danny nodded, to which Stiles did a little jump of joy. "Awesome, do you think you could fix a video file for me? It's corrupted and I need to know what's on it."

"Why don't you know what's on it?"

"It's got a label called Mischief, and it was on Mom's computer. As you might know she's been gone since I was eight. I just want to know whether it was important or not. Could you help me out?"

"Do you have it on something I can take home with?"

"Yeah, I got the video on a flash drive." Stiles admitted.

"Flash drive? Why not the actual computer?" Danny asked with confusion over why Stiles would use that.

"Well, that's just it, I had the computer, but I was pulling the files off when the computer crashed. The file on the computer itself was gone when I started it back up, and the copy on the flash drive file was corrupted."

"Alright, if you have it on you I'll take a look at it. It's not a guarantee that I can fix it, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Danny. Here." Stiles smiled pulling the flash drive out of his pocket and handed it to Danny.

"Now, do me a favor... go get dressed. We have a game to win tonight, remember?"

Stiles smiled as he nodded, going to his locker to get ready.

* * *

Stiles shot the ball into the air, watching as the time was running out on the board. It was one of the closest games he had seen, with literally a tie of 87-87 at the moment. He had worked harder than he ever had in a game, and in the stands he could see his father cheering for him, with Melissa and Harry beside him both looking at him with hope and pride. This was the first game Stiles had played in, and he had gotten the majority of the points that game, having about 50 some odd points. Scott was right beside him, watching the ball fly through the air towards the hoop.

It was one of the few moments that Stiles was glad he had his powers, because he could use Web Rush to look around and see everyone's reactions. He noticed though in the teachers area, was Harris sitting down just staring at him like he normally did. Harris truly hated Stiles, and he had no idea why. It was almost like Stiles had done something wrong to him in a past life or something, but he wasn't sure what Harris's problem was. His eyes kept moving around, finding Erica standing with Flash watching. Erica seemed proud of him, while Flash looked upset that it wasn't him out there instead of Stiles getting all the attention. You see, as it turned out when Stiles got to be in the game, Coach had taken Flash out instead... and needless to say Stiles felt a bit guilty.

Stiles continued to search through the crowd, eventually coming upon Lydia and her group of friends, which included Liz Allan and everyone else. They were holding signs praising Jackson, but Lydia wasn't... she looked so excited at the sight of him being a huge part of the game. His heart nearly stopped beating because of how happy that made him. That was all he wanted to see from her was just that one look...

He smiled as he turned back to the ball watching as it fell into the hoop, right as the buzzer went off. Midtown High won the game...

90-87 was the final score, with Stiles making a three pointer to end it. Cheers erupted throughout the court, and Stiles felt like he was in a dream as Scott and the rest of the team grabbed onto him. Even when the team was celebrating Stiles just couldn't take his eyes off of Flash seeing how upset he was. He felt like this was supposed to be his big moment... and he took it away from Flash.

Stiles needed to talk to him...

* * *

Flash was walking to the locker room to gather his things, seeing as he wasn't able to play during the game, and that he figured Stiles was now going to take his place seeing how he performed tonight.

So, consider him surprised when he heard Stiles call his name out. "Flash! Wait up!"

Flash stopped and looked at him with a cold stare that he hoped would bore down into Stiles' very soul, but found that Stiles was looking rather guilty of something.

"What do you want Stilinski, come to rub my face in the dirt some more?"

"What are you talking about, Flash?"

"Seriously, don't play stupid with me. I know you're hiding something. You don't just get good at something over night. You've been hiding that talent of yours for years huh? Waiting for the perfect moment to use it."

Stiles looked offended at the idea, but looked at his arms realizing that Flash did have a reason to say that. "Look, I didn't come here to rub your nose in the dirt as you wanna call it. I came to apologize for getting you in trouble the other day. I'm sorry but whatever you think I did to Erica, but it wasn't me."

"If it wasn't you, then who was it?"

"My Dad has been investigating a series of crimes, and it turns out that guy on the news, the Identity Thief, he kidnapped Erica and was going to kill her, but she escaped. That's why she has that scar on her arm. If you think I would intentionally hurt Erica, then you have no idea who I am."

"I don't know who you are Stilinski. What I knew about you was that you were a scrawny, defenseless nerd with a need to get in other people's business, step in for the little guy. You have that Superman complex... you feel the need to save others. I knew that you cared about Erica, but you know what, the past few weeks have made me wonder who you truly are."

Stiles froze in his spot, seeing that fire in Flash's eyes that told him the teen was about to lash out at him. "Flash, I don't want to fight you, if that's what you're thinking."

"Who said I was going to fight you, Stilinski? I was going to tell you something... I don't know who you are, but what I do know is, Erica has been terrified for weeks about something, and that just so happens to be around the time she broke up with you. So excuse me for connecting the dots."

"Do... do you like Erica?" Stiles asked, seeing how frustrated he was over her, and that was when he saw something in Flash he never really saw before, compassion. "Oh my god, you do."

"What does it matter to you?"

"Nothing, just do me a favor... take care of her for me. She's been through too much. I don't want her to suffer like she did a few weeks ago. Can we talk, heart to heart?"

"I suppose we're doing that right now, aren't we?"

"No, I mean... as Stiles Stilinski, and Eugene Thompson... not Flash Thompson."

"Fine... but don't call me Eugene." Flash hissed lowly as Stiles nodded, the two of them sitting down.

"I didn't know why Erica broke up with me... honestly. I thought I had done something, but now I don't think it was me. It was her. She deserves the world, and you know what, I love Erica, I really do... but she made it clear to me that we're not going to last... she deserves a lot better than what I can give her. I'm not going to be the guy that gets the girl in the end Flash... nor do I want to be. What I want, is for the people I care about to be taken care of. Do you understand?"

Flash nodded, understanding where he was coming from, even if he didn't really believe him.

"That's why I'm going to talk to Coach, see if he will put you back on the court for the next game... in my place."

"Why would you do that Stilinski, you did a hell of a job out there tonight."

"I know, but you clearly need to be out there more than I do. After all, this isn't some teen movie where the nerd becomes popular. Sometimes you gotta sacrifice things for others, even if it means you fall behind."

"Stilinski, I don't want to take that away from you." Flash admitted. "I just, I hate that I was stupid enough to get taken off the court. I guess my grades need to be a bit higher if I want a chance to be out there again."

"Look, if you want Flash, I can help you study, or even go to Lydia. She's the smartest in our class, even if she doesn't like to act like it. But, as I said I'll talk to Coach."

Stiles patted him on the shoulder as he began to walk towards the locker room again when Flash stood up to stop him.

"Why would you help me, after all the crap I've given you over the years, and especially the last week?" he asked, as Stiles just turned to look at him with a smile.

"Because, I'm not a bad guy Flash, you can't just dwell on old grudges... just take care of Erica for me, please? And whatever you do, don't bring up anything I told you about her scars... please."

Flash nodded his head as Stiles took off for the locker room. The jock thought about what Stiles had said about Erica, how she had been kidnapped by that serial killer, and he started to feel like crap for accusing Stiles of hurting her. How wrong was he about Stiles?

* * *

Harry and Scott were standing outside the locker room as Stiles got there, just chatting away when they laid eyes on him.

"Dude, what was that out there?!" Harry asked incredulously as he grabbed his friend by the shoulder. "Don't tell me you were holding back on us? We could have used that powerhouse last year! Did you see the look on those jerks from Devenford?"

Stiles shyly rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been practicing hard, looks like it paid off." he laughed nervously, hoping they wouldn't notice the slight bruise on his nose or the fact he still had a small trace of the bullet wound in his arm. Wow, he didn't realize how bad that actually sounded when he thought about it until now. He covered the spot on his arm that was still healing and hoped they didn't see it beforehand.

"I guess, Dude, 54 points, are you kidding me? You got the majority of it... not to mention that buzzer shot. You were straight out of a movie, I'm not even joking." Harry laughed as Scott was eyeing Stiles suspiciously, noticing the bruise on his face and how nervous he seemed.

"Hey, Stiles, are you okay man?"

Stiles's eyes grew wide and felt a cold sweat start to run down his body. "Uh, uh yeah. I'm great. Just a little winded after all that out there."

Harry's eyes were drawn towards something behind Stiles, as his eyes grew wide and he gulped. "Oh boy, look out because here comes Mr. Harris..."

 _Oh great, the only person that hates me more than Flash Thompson does usually... what does he want?_

"Mr. Stilinski... what a surprise show of effort you put out there tonight. If only you could put some actual effort into my class." Harris let the venomous words out causing Stiles to develop chills all down his spine.

"Well, you see Mr. Harris if you didn't hate my guts maybe I wouldn't have such a low grade in your class. Or maybe it's because I'm better looking than you. Who knows, it might just be that... low self esteem aside."

Scott grabbed Harry, pulling him into the locker room to avoid the clash that was about to happen. Harry yelped lightly as he fell into the room, leaving Stiles facing off against Harris in a staring contest that could only be described as... intense.

"Oh, pulling those cards already Stilinski, that's disappointing I was hoping to have a friendly chat with you."

"Friendly? I'm sorry to say this but you are the opposite of the word friendly. You are as hostile as someone can be without hurting people. Maybe if you weren't such a jerk all the time maybe I would try to have a nice chat with you, but I'm not going to. If there's something regarding class that is important, and doesn't call for us speaking that much, then get it out there, otherwise I'm going to leave whatever this is, and you can go on your day, kicking sacks of puppies or stealing candy from babies or whatever it is you do."

"Rude, but acceptable. Seeing as the past has dictated, I'll give you that one. I came to ask you if Ms. Reyes is capable of showing up to class on Monday and helping you finish that project. As you know, it's due Wednesday."

"So, there is a little heart behind that cold shriveled up husk of a soul. I don't know, as you said, Erica and I aren't together anymore, so I don't really keep tabs on her all that much. She personally tries to avoid me the best she can. So, I'm not the person you want to ask about Erica. If that's all..."

"No, I'm afraid not, Mr. Stilinski. I'm not only here because of class, but rather because I've noticed that you have been missing school a lot more as of recent."

"I've been sick Mr. H, what can I say? Look, it's terrifying you're actually interested in what's going on with me, so I'm going to get out of here before I have a heart attack or you peel your face off to reveal your true demonic self."

Stiles went into the locker room as Harris narrowed his eyes in disgust.

* * *

"The analysis is done Mr. Osborn." came the voice of Otto Octavius through the phone as Norman stood up from his desk, as he was preparing to head home. He walked downstairs to the lab where Justin and Shaw were both waiting for him to arrive.

"The results?" Norman asked as Octavius gave a smile. "Something good, I hope?"

"Indeed. I believe Subject One, as you call him, since I do not know his name, may be the one you're looking for after all. The deterioration effects we witnessed in the first sample have, in layman's terms, reversed themselves."

"Are you saying he's healing?" Norman asked with intrigue.

Octavius nodded before continuing. "The boy is a healthy specimen, if not healthier. His metabolism is somewhat akin to let's say... that of a long distance runner or an Olympic level athlete."

"What will happen as his condition progresses?"

"There is no worry now, his condition has stabilized. His blood count is normal. I believe if anything the boy is going to get better, if that's even possible... he's healing rapidly. The seizure you said he experienced, I don't think it was him dying at all. I think it was to help him become the perfect vessel for his powers. Think about it, if he was a regular human before he got those powers, to have such abilities thrust into you, the strain on your body would be so immense. I think Dr. Gajos knew this would happen in all honesty. But I cannot say. She was an intuitive one."

"That she was... that is all Octavius, you can go ahead and head home for the night."

 _So Stilinski is stabilizing, and from what Shaw said he has powers after all. He might be the key to saving my life... all I need to do is lay a trap for the Spider, and wait..._

* * *

 ** _Stilinski Household_**

* * *

 _Okay, so the basketball game went well, extremely well. Dad got to be proud of me for once, and I possibly mended things with Flash. Now all I gotta do is help capture the Identity Thief, save Erica from him... Help Derek rescue Cora, and Laura. Laura will be faster since we know she is in Oscorp Tower. I have my Web Shooters now so that won't be as much of a problem. So, there's a few things I still have to do, but I can get them done before Norman kills me... I mean I got some time. Madame Web said I was running out of time, but I figure she meant that I had a few days left at least. If I can't stop the Identity Thief, the least I can do is save Laura. But, what about Dad? I gotta make sure he's okay after I'm gone..._

 _I should talk to Scott, make sure I end things with him on a good note, maybe do something with him before things go south. I've basically ignored him since the field trip, and I hate to do that. I didn't think I was going to get super powers only to die a little while after. What luck do I have..._

* * *

Stiles stepped through the kitchen doorway looking at the table seeing stacks of papers on the table. Being the curious teenager he was he couldn't help but take a look at them. He quickly saw that these were bills, some of which were his hospital bills. Some bills were overdue, and by the time Stiles counted all of the bills together, they equaled just about 5 grand. He lowered his head, realizing that he was making things harder on his father.

A funeral would cost a lot more... and that was the least of his problems at the moment. Stiles would figure something out to help his father... he just needed to figure some stuff out.

After all, he still had to pay off the jeep's repairs, which was three grand. So he had to find a way to get eight grand.

 _I'm going to need a miracle at this point._ he thought to himself as he walked upstairs heading to his room to look up a way to make some money, and fast.

Searching for ads online, Stiles eventually came across an ad for wrestling...

"Survive three minutes in the cage with the widely proclaimed master of disaster... the undefeated champion, Bonesaw... and win ten thousand dollars... free entries..." Stiles read the ad, smiling menacingly as he felt his mind go to work. "Starts tomorrow at 4, huh? Three minutes in a steel cage with some guy in a unitard, that will be easy."

He thought up of a costume he could wear, and went to work to create an outfit for the event.

* * *

Some black spray paint, a large stencil, and a red hoodie and Stiles had himself a uniform. He got a mask made and everything, covering his mouth, but left room for his eyes. His gloves were easy enough to get from a store for a couple bucks, adjusting them so they were padded, which would have less strain on his knuckles while fighting. Stiles smiled at his work, put it away in a briefcase underneath his bed and laid down, needing to make sure he had plenty of rest for tomorrow, with no idea as to what was to come...

* * *

 **Sunday, August 26th.**

* * *

 _So, as it would turn out, I wasn't the only one that was looking forward to facing this "Bonesaw" guy. He looked mean and strong, with muscles practically popping from his outfit. At the moment he was fighting some G.I. Joe knockoff and tossed the smaller man over his shoulder, before slamming him into the ring. If I didn't have my powers, I would have thought this might have been a mistake, but I wasn't worried. The only thing I had to worry about was something like a knife or gun, and you know what, this wasn't one of those places that would include those. At least, I hoped not..._

 _I watched as Bonesaw climbed onto one of the corners and showed his guns to the crowd, which they roared in response. The reigning champion then turned and leapt off the corner, bringing his elbow down on the poor guy's collar bone. That guy was going to the hospital, there was no doubt about it in my mind. The referee counted down as I saw someone in the arena stands lift a banner that read BONESAW: MASTER OF DISASTER!_

 _Ain't that something to be said about the fan-base for this guy? The referee finished counting and Bonesaw stood tall next to his quite possibly crippled opponent. I could hear the wrestler cry out through the cheers: "Who's the man?!" as medics put G.I. Joe on a gurney and carried him away. The crowd answered Bonesaw's question with an outstanding: "BONESAW! BONESAW! BONESAW!"_

 _He might be the champion, but he hadn't faced The Spider yet..._

* * *

The ring announcer, wearing a groovy gold snakeskin jacket stepped into the ring next to Bonesaw holding his hand out towards him. "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for BONESAAAAW... MCGRAAAAAAAAW!" The audience was practically shaking the building with their excitement. "For ten THOUSAND dollars, is there no one here man enough to stay in the ring for three minutes with this Titan of Testosterooooone?!" he made the word longer as most announcers would, as Stiles kept his mask on tight, feeling confident about his chances against the wrestler.

Boos rang out everywhere while Bonesaw was literally getting greased by his posse.

 _No wonder the guy's so hard to face. He's more slippery than a snake, literally._

"WHO? I know who... The Flying DUTCHMAAAAN!"

Stiles made his way up to the sign up line while "The Flying Dutchman" dealt with Bonesaw. The lady at the table announced: "Next!" upon Stiles approaching. Upon seeing him she scoffed looking behind him. "There's no featherweight division here, small fry. Next!"

"No, no... sign me up." Stiles ordered, his voice muffled by his ski mask.

The lady looked at Stiles up and down then sighed lightly. "Okay, you understand NYWL is not responsible for any injury may and probably _will_ sustain while participating in said event, and you are participating under your own free will?"

"Yes," Stiles answered, feeling a strange sense of excitement about going out there.

Rolling her eyes, the lady scribbled down the name Stiles gave her as she drawled out "Down the hall to the ramp." As Stiles walked away, he heard her mumble "May God be with you."

Stiles heard someone scream in agony and then a loud crash as he approached the entrance to the arena. "Next victim!" Bonesaw's voice echoed in the hall, making Stiles crack his fists.

"Are you ready for mooore?!" the ring announcer cried out. The crowd immediately went into overdrive, shouting and scream that they indeed wanted more.

"Bonesaw is ready!" the wrestler proclaimed through the mic as Stiles winced at the proclamation.

 _Talking about himself in the third person, how many brain cells has this guy lost in the ring?_

"Will the next _victim_ please enter the arena at this time?" Taking his cue, Stiles walked down the ramp until he stood in front of a large screen, where he saw the shadow of the ring announcer approach him. Stiles laughed lightly, musing how he reminded him of Bruce Campbell. "If he can withstand just three minutes in the cage, with Bonesaw McGraw, the sum of TEN THOOOUUUSAAAND DOLLAAARS will be paid to..." he trailed off and whispered to Stiles, "What's your name, kid?"

"The Spider."

"The Spider, that's it? That's the best ya got? Very well. The... SPIDER!" he roared out to the crowd. The screen flew up and revealed "The Spider" to the waiting audience, only difference was his back was turned.

He turned to face Bonesaw who was waiting eagerly in the ring, hoping to draw more blood from his onslaught of _victims_. Stiles smiled underneath his ski mask as he raced forward, running past anyone who might have thrown popcorn at him. His Web Rush kicked in as he passed the previous challenger who was being carried on a gurney.

"Oh my god!" he wailed. "Oh, my legs! Oh, God! I can't feel my legs!"

Stiles didn't pay no mind though as he jumped into the ring, leaping over the ropes causing an awed gasp from the crowd, as four barred walls came down around them.

 _Cage match, oh cute... looks like they had "The Spider" in mind._

The walls lowered, boxing Stiles and Bonesaw inside.

The crewmen locked the cage's joints with padlocks and chains.

"Hey... Freakshow! It's playtiiiime..." Bonesaw called out as Stiles crouched down into a pose, motioning him to come at him. Bonesaw charged, as Stiles' spider sense went off, causing him to do a back flip onto the cage wall. As Stiles suspected Bonesaw slammed into the bars and fell backwards. After recovering Bonesaw spotted him. "What're you doing up there?!"

"Who me?" Stiles laughed. "I was waiting for Bonesaw to show up. You must be his little brother, Toothpick McGraw." He hid a cheeky smile underneath his mask as he taunted "That's a cute outfit. Did your husband give it to you?"

 _Guy seems like he's one of those hot-blooded macho mans. If only Randy Savage was here... wait, this guy actually looks like him, that's amazing._

Bonesaw growled, jumping at Stiles, but he flipped off the wall and landed behind Bonesaw, tapping him on the shoulder. "Yoo-hoo... I'm over here."

 _I might not need to hit him, just dodge and that money will be mine. But that wouldn't make a show, would it? I don't like being hit but letting him get a hit in might wear him down a bit. I can't use my strength the way I'd want to if it was one of Oscorp's death bots, so I'll need to pull my punches. I don't want to kill the guy._

Stiles jumped over him as Bonesaw charged once more, and when he landed his Spider Sense went off again, and when he turned, he was met with a metal chair to the face. The Cross Species fell to the floor, feeling the pain from the chair. "Ouch." he muttered as the chair was brought upon his head again. It didn't hurt as much as Stiles thought it would, making him smile as Bonesaw brought down again, only to be caught with Stiles' hand.

Stiles got up, throwing the chair out of the ring, as Bonesaw came at him again. Without even thinking Stiles jumped up, doing a spinning kick to Bonesaw's jaw. He was doing light but strong kicks to Bonesaw's torso in quick repetition, but he found that every single time he sent the wrestler stumbling, he came right back.

 _What a stubborn guy..._ Stiles thought as Bonesaw lunged at him one final time, and with a plan in mind, Stiles dived downward, grabbing Bonesaw by the waist, and slamming him into the metal bars on the far wall. It appeared Bonesaw hit his head because he fell flat on the ground, and stayed there, as he was unconscious.

The cage walls were unlocked and lifted as the referee came running in, counting down and then ran to Stiles. "That's it! That's it!" He grabbed Stiles' wrist, forcing his hand up in victory. "WINNER!"

The ring announcer jogged around the circumference of the arena, proudly proclaiming "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the new champion: THE SPIDER!"

Stiles smiled, happy he was going to get that ten grand to help out his father, and then some.

* * *

The manager slipped a hundred dollar bill onto his desk, as Stiles took it while he counted the rest of the money. Strangely enough, when he noticed Stiles, he frowned and gestured to the door. "Now get outta here."

Stiles returned his frown and looked down at the bill in his hand. "A hundred bucks? The ad said ten grand."

The manager snapped his head at him and barked "Well check it again, spider... it said ten grand for three minutes, and you pinned him in two. For that," he pointed at the bill in Stiles' hand "you get a hundred, and you're _lucky_ to get that."

Stiles sighed before bending over to face the manager dead in the eyes. "Then how about you give me the money that was earned for two minutes... by my knowledge that should be 6,666 dollars, with some change as well..."

"How about you get the hell outta my office before I call security," he snapped as Stiles's eyes turned pitch black, causing the manager to get scared, but didn't back off of the threat.

"Fine, but understand, karma's a bitch. Remember that."

"I missed the part about where that's my problem."

Stiles walked away with the hundred in hand as a man with frosted hair entered the room, having been waiting behind him. A minute later as Stiles reached the elevator the guy with the frosted hair came running with a bag in his hand, with security and the manager came in tow. Stiles had almost broke the call button from pushing it so hard when it opened.

"Stop that guy!" the security guard pointed towards the guy.

"STOP HIM! HE'S GOT MY MONEY!"

 _So, this guy robbed the guy who stiffed me?_ Stiles shrugged as he casually stepped to the side as the robber threw himself into the elevator, but not before hitting Stiles with a thick envelope. He hit the button to get out of there, as the door closed... looking at Stiles saying "Thanks!"

Stiles hid the envelope as the security guard and the manager got to him, just short of the door and glared at him. "What the hell's the matter with you? You let him go!"

The guard took off, calling out orders into his walkie-talkie. The manager looked helplessly at the elevator door as he stood beside Stiles, before glancing at him with a bandage to his head, the manager chided "You coulda taken that guy apart. Now he's going to get away with my money."

There was no greater satisfaction in the moment when Stiles uttered, "I missed the part where that's my problem..." The manager frowned as he walked away. "I told you, karma's a bitch."

Hiding a smug smile as he got into the elevator once it got back down, Stiles thought to himself underneath that ski mask, _That'll teach you, won't it?_

Stepping into the elevator Stiles looked into the envelope, finding a whole bunch of money. He counted it out, finding the rest of the ten grand he was owed was there.

 _Well, looks like that guy heard what happened. Thanks._

With a smile as he removed his mask, Stiles went up in the elevator with ten thousand dollars in hand...


	27. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

**Before the chapter begins, just want to point out that I am just writing what I feel is right for the book. If you do not like the book, you don't have to read it, it's just that simple.**

* * *

 _Chapter Twenty-six: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished_

* * *

The smile on Stiles' face was unlike any other smile he had ever mustered as he walked into the house, carrying his book bag which held his wrestling outfit, and in his hand was the ten grand he had won rightfully. Whoever that guy was that robbed that scumbag manager, Stiles had to thank him. In all honesty he could have just taken all that money by himself but for whatever reason, the guy didn't, and gave Stiles what should have been his. Sure... one could argue that Stiles cheated via usage of his super powers, but they didn't know that.

So, for all intents and purposes Stiles couldn't help but admit that without that robber, he wouldn't have gotten the money he needed. He entered his room, still holding that ten grand in his hand. Stiles had never had this much money before, and holding it in his hand made him realize just how much it actually was.

He reached into the box of his mother's notebooks to take a look at the notes, from the very beginning. The journals he had found originally seemed to be written differently, as if they were meant to be found at different time.

This notebook was a lot neater than what Stiles expected, and in bold letters was the official name of the Cross Species project.

* * *

 ** _Project Panacea._**

* * *

Stiles knew the word well, Panacea... it meant the cure to all diseases. He had done a lot of studies into virology and other things after his Mom died, and one of the first words he learned were associated with the topics was in fact Panacea.

 **1993**

* * *

 ** _Log One._**

* * *

 _It came as a surprise today when Mr. Osborn gave the green light to Project Panacea, in which previous attempts at green lighting the project was turned down due to it being, well... how do I put it? In Mr. Osborn's words, he stated it was "Impossible." After all these years of trying to get it green lit, it was odd to finally hear that we were finally going to work on it. I've heard the rumors about Mr. Osborn being sick, and some are saying that's why he's starting the project now is due to his illness, if he really has one. I don't know much about what this illness is or what the symptoms are, but the rumor is that it's a degenerative disease. He must be getting desperate. Even if Mr. Osborn's reasoning for giving the green light is selfish in its origins, at least in the long run we could save millions of lives._

* * *

 _ **Log Two**._

* * *

 _After turning over every rock we could to figure a path to go on for the project, we finally found it and t_ _esting has started... the main testing is focusing on three main branches of animals. Reptiles, Wolves, and Spiders. Dr. Morbius is focusing on the wolves to his dismay since he couldn't use bats since he has a strange fascination about the creatures. Dr. Connors is the main focus for Reptiles, while I work on the Spiders. I already have a possible theory for the process, but it is a dangerous one... Cross Species Genetics._

* * *

 ** _Log Three._**

* * *

 _Nothing yet in terms of progress. We're missing a catalyst to ensure the bonding process is successful. The test subjects we've used previously have not reacted to our expectations. Subjects three and five of the Spider research have died in the past few hours, and Subjects Two and four in the reptile section are beginning to succumb to a mysterious illness that seems for the moment able to grant the bonding process to work, but the subject dies before any real progress can be made. Connors is becoming more irritable about the process, considering Mr. Osborn is breathing down our necks, constantly asking about our progress. To be honest, we aren't making that much progress._

* * *

 ** _Log Five._**

* * *

 _We took a new step today in the form of Subject Zero... (_ Stiles already knew how this went, it was just repeating everything he knew)

* * *

 ** _Log 34_**

* * *

 _The whole process of the X-95's creation has been a hard one. Ever since Derek escaped the Tower, I've been under close watch by Norman and his associate if you would call it that. It took me a while, but I have figured out that indeed Derek's blood could be used for good. I didn't want to use his blood in this, seeing as he gave me a sample saying that if I needed to use it for something worthwhile, it would be there. I didn't think about it until recently when all of the subjects were dying. All the spiders, except two... have died. This is the X-94, and the X-95. The X-94 is not one that I would ever use on a human being, because of its imperfection. It would kill the victim of the bite before the bonding process would be complete. It has not been tested, but based on blood samples we have used, and the fact a rat was injected with venom from the X-94, we discovered something... The X-94, because of its instability, has a symptom that is very deadly, and there is no cure to it._

 _The symptom is a disease known as Frontotemporal Dementia..._

* * *

Stiles dropped the notebook in shock as he read the last line... Frontotemporal Dementia. That was what Claudia died from. Did that mean that... did Claudia get bit by the X-94? If that were true, then his father was right... Norman was responsible for Claudia's death.

He turned towards his window as he cracked his knuckles. It was only in that moment that Stiles decided to make the one thing that Derek wanted more than anything happen. Stiles decided that it was time to get Laura Hale out of Oscorp Tower. If Norman was responsible for Claudia's death, Stiles was going to make him confess, and then he would make him pay, no matter the cost.

* * *

Derek opened his eyes that morning to find Stiles standing above him, in a manner that the werewolf might have done to someone at one point. He jumped out of surprise, with his eyes glowing blue as his claws came out, to which Stiles snickered lightly.

"Calm down, Sourwolf. Do you have a plan as to how to get Laura out of Oscorp Tower?" Stiles asked lowly, his voice calmer than the werewolf had ever seen from him. It was like something in Stiles had changed, as Derek nodded.

"No, you're the one with the brains, Stiles. Do you have one?"

"Not at the moment, but all it'll take is a visit to a certain strawberry blonde I know for that to change." he said with a bright smile. "Either way, we'll get Laura at nightfall."

"Then lead the way, _Spidey..._ " Derek laughed, noticing that the nickname fit him all too well. "You do this, and I'll owe you a lot more than just a couple saves here and there."

"Oh, by the time I'm done, you'll have your sisters back, and then some."

* * *

 **Monday, August 27th**

* * *

Stiles poked his head lightly into the office of Dr. Curt Connors to find Lydia standing there with the scientist himself, working away on a file. Dr. Connors was every bit the scientist Stiles had imagined. He had seen Connors a few times when he was little, when Claudia invited Curt over for dinner or something like that, since they were close friends. However, this was before Connors had his accident, the one that took away his arm.

Originally Dr. Connors was just a gifted surgeon, and he had enlisted in the Army. He was sent to war where he performed emergency battlefield surgery on wounded soldiers, but an explosion injured his right arm and had to be amputated. That was what he had been told by his Mom when he nearly asked what had happened to him one night at the dinner table. Being a five year old with a curious mind could be more damaging than you might think.

Lydia turned just slightly, catching sight of the Cross Species, smiling lightly at how he had a goofy smile plastered on his face.

Connors lifted his head up to see the teenager standing there and chuckled lightly. "It appears we have a visitor, Ms. Martin."

"Sorry, Dr. Connors, this is a friend of mine, Stiles Stilinski."

"Stilinski?" Connors asked curiously, developing a small smile on his face. "I haven't heard that name in a long time, not since..."

"Since Claudia?" Stiles asked, to which Connors nodded as Lydia raised an eyebrow curiously at the interaction. "She's my Mom."

"Wait, you're... the last time I saw you were had to be five years old." Connors said brightly putting his hand on Stiles' arm. "You have her eyes."

"I've been told that a lot. I miss her."

"As do I... to what do we owe the pleasure, Mr. Stilinski?" Connors sighed lightly as Lydia crossed her arms.

"Yeah, why are you here Stiles? Not that I don't like the surprise visit."

Stiles smiled as he held up a bag in his hand, chuckling lightly. "Well, you see... I figured you hadn't ate anything, and from what Harry told me about Oscorp's cafeterias, the food kind of sucks. So, I figured a home cooked meal would be a better alternative. Plus, maybe I just wanted to see you."

Lydia lowered her head to hide the small blush forming on her face as Connors grinned. "So, Ms. Martin, it appears you have a wonderful boyfriend."

Stiles and Lydia's eyes grew wide as he laughed nervously. "No, no, no! We're not... hahaha... I mean," he was stuttering over his words as Lydia slapped him on the arm.

"Dr. Connors, Stiles and I are nothing more than friends. I'm dating Mr. Osborn's step-son, Jackson."

"Ah, I see... wouldn't want to get that mixed up, would we?" Connors asked coyly, before looking at his watch. "Well, would you look at the time. I have to go pick up my son from his soccer game, it was nice seeing you again Stiles, come by sometime and we can have a proper chat. Ms. Martin, have a good night."

"You too, Dr. Connors." Lydia replied as Stiles finally came out of his stutter at the thought of the fact Connors thought they were dating.

"Goodnight Dr. Connors!" he spat out, to which Lydia chuckled lightly. After they watched Connors leave, Lydia turned to him with her arms crossed.

"So, you brought me dinner?"

"Yeah... I did."

She eyed him for a moment, before biting her lower lip. "You're trying to suck up to me, aren't you?"

"Wh-what?" he laughed. "Why would I try to suck up to you..."

"Maybe it's because you'd like to see around the labs? Or maybe you just like spending time with me, and hope that Jackson gets jealous."

"Hey, Jackson and I are actually good right now, I'm not trying to wreck that. Plus, _you're not even my type._ " he coughed out the last bit in a deep voice.

"Stiles, Scott told me about the fact your type was strawberry blonde, exactly my height, and a few other things too..."

The teen coughed hard. "I'll have you know I was extremely drunk when I told him that, and how dare you use my own words against me..."

Lydia just grinned as she walked by him, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the office. "Since you were nice enough to bring me food..." Stiles smiled as he internally screamed 'boo-yah.'

Afterwards he was sure he heard Madame Web's disembodied voice calling him an idiot.

* * *

Stiles had what he needed, and as he watched Lydia sit down and pull the meal Stiles personally made, Chicken Alfredo, out, he couldn't help but smile at how happy she was.

"I remember that you loved it when we were kids. I hope that's alright."

"It's still my favorite." She grinned as Stiles looked at his watch. "Sorry I couldn't show you the whole lab... I can't even see half of the stuff here."

"Restricted Access... it's usually their most important research behind there." Stiles nodded, thinking about Laura Hale. "Hey, so... I heard Jackson made you dinner the other night."

"Yeah, it was surprisingly really good. I didn't expect anything like that from him."

"Me either, to be honest I haven't expected Jackson to be any less of a jackass than he normally is."

"He's trying to turn himself around, trying to fix things before something happens that he'll regret." Lydia explained.

"Do you believe that?" Stiles asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes, why... don't you?"

"Lydia, I don't expect somebody that has been hell for over three years to suddenly start being the nice guy. It just doesn't seem right, but if you believe him, that's reason enough for me to."

Lydia blushed, as she had been doing all too much lately. "Stiles, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, you can ask me anything."

"Did you buy this from a restaurant because this cannot be your cooking."

"Ouch..." Stiles sighed with his hands up in the air. "That was a low blow, Lydia... I'll have you know I am far better at cooking than my father."

He sat down and enjoyed his time with Lydia before tonight went down... he would find that after tonight, there wouldn't be as many relaxing moments like this...

* * *

As the tower closed for the night, most of the employees leaving to return home, Stiles laid back on the wall of a skyscraper across the street, using only his feet to stay attached to the wall as he watched the entrance.

 _Well, I can't just waltz right in there and expect to get anywhere now that everything's locked up, and it looks like the security guards have_ _tasers. That's just lovely. Whatever I do, when I go in there, I need to be smart about it. I can at the very least get into the lobby, but getting anywhere else without clearance, that's a different story._

He adjusted the web shooters on his wrist, hoping he wouldn't need to use them much tonight, as they were still just prototypes at this point.

Stiles waited until nightfall to enter the building, looking around quietly trying to see what his surroundings were like. Over near the elevators, there were maintenance workers working on pipes above, and Stiles noticed that there was a path leading up to the pipes.

 _Crates in the form of stairs? Now that's convenient._ Once Stiles got up to the pipes he could crawl up to wherever he needed to go. The workers were on the ground, and not paying attention to the pipes above, which was perfect for the teenage arachnid.

His phone buzzed with a message from Derek as he stepped over near the maintenance area as his Spider Sense went off, just a moment before Norman and Harry came walking into the building.

"Dad, you can't seriously tell me you don't think Stiles is a good influence on me!" Harry asked incredulously, as Stiles crouched down behind one of the crates.

"Look, it's not my place to judge Harry, but I've found that you have been in the principal's office a lot more ever since you became friends with Stiles Stilinski."

 _Aw, how nice of you to talk about me in such high regards Norman. I'll be sure to send you a card for your honesty._

He looked down at his phone to see what the message was, to find that Derek was telling him he was inside the building already, but he needed to make sure Norman didn't get near the security room on the floor Laura was. Otherwise they would never be able to get her out of there.

 _So, I gotta run interference? Thanks, Derek... just because I can move around a lot better than you can doesn't mean I gotta play the distraction._

Stiles crouched down as he climbed up the crates as his eyes were focused upon the two Osborns speaking.

"Dad, why am I here?" Harry asked as they stepped into the elevator, the doors shutting behind them.

Stiles raced up the crates up to the pipes, quickly realizing his mistake. There were thirteen pipes to cross, and each were weaker than the last. The elevator was starting to move up, and he knew he had to hurry. Instead of running across the pipes, Stiles shot a web onto the wall, pulling himself across the room. He flew onto the glass wall, and noticed how the elevator was right below him. Using his Web Rush Stiles quickly examined his environment, finding a few floors up there was an opening for him to climb into the shaft, where he could ride Norman's lift all the way to the floor where Laura was.

Stiles stood up on the wall, racing up it as fast as he could. The distance was closed faster than he expected, as he threw his hand onto the opening, pulling himself around the corner and landed gracefully onto the elevator. He crouched down, awaiting for his stop.

"I don't see the need for the fighting between you and Jackson. After all, the two of you were best friends before I got with his mother, so what is the issue?" Norman asked with his arms behind his back, as only an upset parent would.

"You know why, he wants the company and wants me out of the way. All Jackson does is try to upstage me at every turn. That's why I stopped wanting the company so I didn't have to deal with that issue anymore." Harry explained as Stiles frowned above them, having been eavesdropping on it.

"I see, I'll have to have a word with him later then."

"Don't worry about it Dad, it's fine. He wants the company, then he can have it."

Norman grimaced as he turned towards Harry, snarling in disgust at the comment. "That is not his choice, now is it Harry? You are an Osborn, you are the rightful heir to the Oscorp name. However, it does not mean you are going to get the company. That's actually why you are here with me right now, is because I need to ask you something very important," the CEO informed him. Stiles hid from the glass ceiling as Norman raised his head towards him, as if he had sensed Stiles was there. "Hmm, if Jackson agreed to end this pitiful rivalry with you, would the two of you be able to run Oscorp together?"

"I-I guess," he replied quietly, thinking about the possibility of working side by side with Jackson, and the thought was quite strange to put it in a mundane term. "I guess that could work. But I thought you wanted one person to run the company?"

"I did, at first. However it came to my attention that the two of you would benefit as a team. If I were to step down in the next few years, or the inevitable happens and I die... I want you two to take over the business."

"Dad, I don't know what to say." Harry gulped as Norman placed his hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Sometimes, if you don't know what to say, then that means you shouldn't say anything at all."

Stiles felt the elevator start to slow down as he noticed the lights flicker. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed the entire building was going dark.

His phone buzzed, as he saw the message from Derek. _Get ready._ As soon as the elevator door opened, the lights went out, and without even thinking the teen jumped up, coming down through the glass next to Norman and Harry. Stiles pushed Norman against the wall, as Harry couldn't do anything, in fact he just stood there unable to move out as the Cross Species ran out of the lift, turning around to web the elevator shut just in case the two went to investigate (which definitely would happen). Stiles continued down the hallway, letting his Spider Sense guide him. He was by himself on this one, as Derek was busy dealing with the security footage of Stiles from the Hempstead facility. Thankfully Lydia had done him the favor of showing him around, so he knew exactly where he had to go. Sneaking his way to where Dr. Connors' office was, Stiles watched as lights coming from multiple security guards appeared through the darkness. He aimed carefully with his hands, shooting out a web onto the wall and held it to where the web was taut, acting as a trip-line.

 _Three, two..._ The security guards tripped, falling to the ground having been unable to see the web-line. Stiles flipped through the air, webbing them down, leaving only their noses uncovered for them to breathe.

"Sorry, fellas... I don't need anyone trying to get in my way." he said coldly jumping over their bodies, clinging to the ceiling as he came up to a vent. More lights were coming, and Stiles just smiled. "Good luck getting them out..." He climbed into the vent, disappearing before the flashlights illuminated the hall.

Crawling his way into the Restricted Access, Stiles dropped down into a lab with a large machine with thin tubes stretching down into needles which hung loosely around what looked to be a torture chair.

 _Guess this is where they were drawing Derek's blood, and now Laura's..._ Stiles growled lightly, stepping to the machine, and shot two webs onto the top of the metallic structure, before pulling it down upon itself, destroying the possibility of them restarting the project anytime soon.

"Now, to get Laura."

* * *

Derek finished clearing the footage out of the security system, smiling at how scared Stiles had been when he was against that robot, and then looking at how he was now, facing off against the guards here at the Tower. It was only seven days later, and Stiles was basically a different person now. In a way, he was... but something had changed in him, Derek had seen this earlier this morning when he woke up. Stiles seemed angry... the way when someone becomes so angry, they are calm. That was what worried Derek, was how angry Stiles had to be for this to happen. What could have happened?

 _What could have happened indeed._ a disembodied voice called out to Derek, causing him to look around. _Come now, Mr. Hale... you have work to do, and you've been on vacation for far too long. You know what you need to do..._

Derek's eyes developed a sheen to them, reflecting against the light even though his eyes were normal before he straightened up, and walked out of the room without saying a word.

 _That's a good boy, do as you're told._

* * *

Stiles entered another lab full of vials with a glowing purple liquid in it, and immediately he recognized it as the Lycan Serum. He stepped in front of it, lightly grasping onto two of them, and for some unknown reason, Stiles put them into his pocket before stepping into a smaller more contained room, with only a faint red light hanging overhead. Stiles heard the clanging of metal and he looked to find in a cage was an animal.

He knelt down as his eyes turned pitch black, and the animal's eyes glowed red right back at him. Stiles knew immediately the animal was a wolf... and not just any wolf, it was an Alpha werewolf.

"Hey, Laura..." he smiled lightly as he broke the cage open, as the wolf ran out, stopping near the door. Stiles watched as the wolf stood on it's hind legs as the animal turned into a very _naked_ female. "Oh my god, you have no clothes on..."

 _It's burned into my mind now..._ He immediately turned his head looking towards the ceiling, only to hear a small laugh from the female werewolf.

"You must be new to this." the girl, presumably Laura Hale chuckled. Stiles raised an eyebrow to which she rolled her eyes. "You seem surprised I don't have clothes..."

"Um, I'm not surprised... I'm just..."

"Never mind, kid..." she put her hand on his shoulder and almost immediately Stiles' face turned pink out of embarrassment. "Do you happen to have clothes I can put on, that way you can at least make eye contact with me?"

"Um, yeah... here." he pulled his book bag off, to which she took it. "I... I uh, I didn't see anything just so you know."

"You are such a horrible liar." Laura shook her head, before getting dressed. "Wait, are these my clothes?"

"Yeah, your brother got them for me that way when I found you, you could, you know."

Stiles waited until she was dressed to look, but he was shocked to see Derek in the doorway. "Laura?"

"Derek!" she smiled brightly, hugging him tightly.

"Oh _thank you, **kid**. How can I ever thank you? _Aw, it's no big deal, just helping out a friend." Stiles mimicked Laura's voice the best he could as the two Hales looked at him oddly. He stood up straight, having not realized he said it out loud. "I was thinking out loud, wasn't I?"

"Yup." Laura sighed, to which she turned and hugged Stiles. "Thank you." She parted from the hug, kissing him on the cheek.

"Oh, Laura... this is Stiles. He is kind of a member of our Pack now."

"How? He's not even a werewolf."

"It's a long story, but to save some time, we need to get out of here because the power will be coming on any time now." Derek informed her, and as if on cue the lights turned on.

"I better go do crowd control until you guys can get out of here." Stiles growled, running past them, only to stop at the edge of the lab, to see they were still standing there. "Did I stutter? Get moving guys!"

The two werewolves took off, as Stiles turned back towards the hallway, racing towards what he presumed to be an onslaught of security guards, and one very upset Norman Osborn.

That last little bit made him smile, he couldn't lie.

* * *

Stiles cracked his neck as the final guard fell and he looked towards the next lab which would lead to his escape. He raced into the room, to find standing there none other than Norman Osborn himself.

"Hello, Stiles... what a surprise seeing you here." Norman greeted softly, his voice weak. "I got your message by the way..."

"Good... you need to leave the people I care about alone."

"If I had a choice in the matter, Stiles... I would, I really would. However, if you know why I need your blood, you understand my desperation."

"You have years left to live, it doesn't sound like desperation to me." Stiles said grimly as he stepped forward to the CEO, removing his hood.

"I don't have years, I have months at this point. I will be dead by the end of the year, unless _you_ save my life."

"Unless I save your life? All you have done is try to kill me since that day at the field trip, Mr. Osborn..."

Norman sighed, wiping his hands which were speckled with green spots, and it was clear now, the disease was starting to show more... "I hadn't intended to kill you right away. You must understand that all of the previous hosts that were bit by the spiders your mother created, they all died. I was afraid that perhaps it might be traced back to Oscorp if you died from it."

"So, you try to have me assassinated?!" Stiles growled.

"I admit, it was foolish, yes... but look. You were showing signs just like every other host was. The only other thing that could have happened was if you..."

"If I what?"

"It doesn't matter, what matters is that you are thriving now, Stiles. I saw the blood sample. You are extremely healthy, in fact you might be one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever laid eyes upon. You are at peak human condition, and then some. I want to offer you a chance to stop whatever this is between us."

"I think that chance ended a long time ago." the teenager cracked his knuckles lightly.

"Stiles, please... all I need is one blood sample, and then I will leave you alone forever. I will forget you broke into my facility, I will forgive the fact you released Laura Hale, who is the only person capable of giving countless people the chance to recover from horrific wounds. You are stealing the chance of people living better lives away from them."

"I'm saving a girl's life. You have held her hostage here for god knows how long. You held Derek Hale hostage for nearly a year."

"So, you know the truth about Subject Zero, how much else do you know about?"

"I know that you are not a kind man... you are no better than some of the monsters out there on the streets. Now, I have one question for you Norman... did you kill my mother?"

Norman's eyes grew wide at the question. "Why... why would you ask me that? I cared about Claudia."

"Don't you lie to me... you don't care about anything other than yourself, and possibly Harry. Which is why, I'm asking... were you so angry with my mother that you caused the X-94 to bite her?"

"Why that spider specifically?"

"You should know, my mother died from frontotemporal dementia, and a symptom the bite caused from the X-94 was exactly that. She was bit by it, don't try to deny it."

The CEO sighed, as he sat down on a chair as Stiles got face to face with him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Did you... kill my Mom?"

"No..."

In that moment, Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off as Norman pulled out a taser, and with one fluid movement Stiles flipped over Norman, and slammed him into the glass window, shattering it. He held Norman out, dangling over the street.

"ANSWER ME!" he growled, to which Norman's eyes grew dark.

"You want to know the truth, Stiles? The truth is, you won't kill me... because you are just as weak as your pathetic parents. She couldn't see that what I was trying to do, would make the world a lot better than what it already was. You are just like her, you're a flame that needs to be put out."

Stiles didn't need to hear anything else, as he had just gotten his answer. Throwing his arm back, Norman went flying into the lab, and crashing into the wall.

"Next time, I might just kill you." Stiles growled as he launched out the window, and disappeared into the night.

Norman smiled menacingly as he wiped blood off of his lip. "Game on, Mr. Stilinski, game on."

* * *

Jackson opened his eyes as he felt something in his hand. As his eyes adjusted to his dark room, Jackson found it was a necklace... the one that belonged to Tracy Stewart. It also happened to be the same necklace that had been missing when her body was found...


	28. To Catch a Spider

_Chapter Twenty-seven: To Catch a Spider_

* * *

Stiles launched out of the window upon finishing his threat to Norman, flying down towards the street like a bullet. He was disoriented by the rush of wind in his face, but after a moment he regained focus, and with a flick of his wrist, shot a web onto the wall, and pulled himself to the surface where he ran all the way down to the street, jumping into an alley so nobody would see him. He turned back to the window he had jumped out of, and he snarled angrily. So, it was true, Norman had killed Claudia. He couldn't tell Stilinski this, it would make things a lot worse than what it already was.

He made his way to Queens, where he collapsed into bed with tears in his eyes, knowing his mother could have been alive today, if Norman hadn't released the X-94. That was harder to accept than anything else. The powers he had, they were easier to accept than the idea his best friend's father was responsible for Claudia's death.

That was probably the one thing he _couldn't_ accept to be completely honest. How do you get over that, every time you see your friend knowing that their father was a monster? It was hard to think about, and Stiles knew he had only a little bit of time left before he would lose this fight with Norman. For Norman's sake, Stiles just hoped to god that he left his friends and family alone.

* * *

Jackson stared at the necklace in his hand as he heard a knock on his door, startling him as he threw the accessory underneath his pillow. "C-come in."

Opening the door was Harry, who looked almost... disappointed to have to come in here. "Were you sleeping?"

"No, just uh... couldn't sleep. You need something?"

"So, Dad dragged me to the Tower earlier tonight to ask me something, regarding the two of us." Harry sighed, sitting down against the wall. Jackson eyed him curiously as he sat up, wiping the sweat off of his face.

"What about us?"

"He asked me i I'd be willing to run the company with you, if something happens in the next few years, like he wants to step down, or..."

"Or he dies?" Jackson's voice was cold and weak as he finished the thought. Harry looked at him with surprise at Jackson's statement. "Look, I don't need verbal confirmation to know he's not doing that well, Harry. I've seen it, late at nights when he falls asleep in the study. He's sick, isn't he?"

"He doesn't want anyone knowing. I think he's afraid he'll be seen as weak if it's revealed. It might get him kicked off the board, or it could make him seem vulnerable. There's a lot of reasons he might not want people to know..."

"He's that sick huh?"

"Yeah, I've seen it myself. The other morning he was trying to put a shirt on and he looked bad."

"I can't believe it. What did you say to him?" Jackson asked, watching as Harry shrugged.

"I told him that I guess... but there was one catch."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"You drop this rivalry crap we have going on. That's the catch. I wanted to see if you would be willing to at least make an attempt to have us work as a team a slight possibility. Do you think that could happen? Or am I wasting my time?"

Jackson stood up, hoping the necklace was well hidden underneath his pillow as he held his hand out to Harry, which the young Osborn grabbed onto gingerly. He pulled Harry to his feet and nodded. "Yeah, I'll drop it. I'm tired of being the bad guy, Harry..."

"Good. So, was Danny here earlier?"

Jackson raised an eyebrow to the question. "What? No, Danny wasn't here. I didn't have any of my friends over, why?"

"There was someone leaving the house earlier tonight, I thought maybe it was Danny or someone. Must have been one of Dad's employees."

Jackson turned back to the pillow for a moment, as a thought came across his mind. _I don't think it was an employee._

* * *

Norman walked into his office, dropping into his seat as he coughed out blood. Stiles had thrown him into the wall like he was a bouncy ball. He was pretty sure he had injured his back or gotten a broken rib. Either way, now that Stiles had drawn blood on him, Norman needed to make him pay, and when Norman did, he was going to add interest.

The measly assistant entered the room. "Sir, you called for me?" Justin asked seeing how angry Norman was.

"Yes, call Dr. Smythe. Tell him I want to have four Hunter bots at the ready. I hear he has some improved models..."

"Right away, sir. Anything else?"

"Tell Shaw to come here, immediately."

Justin nodded, leaving quickly. Minutes later Shaw entered the room, standing next to Norman's desk.

"What can I do for you Mr. Osborn?" Shaw asked, his voice cold although the wounds on his face from Derek Hale and the injuries from Stiles Stilinski were still fresh and painful.

"I had a visit from Subject One. It appears that you were right when you said he's tougher than we anticipated. He knows the truth, about everything. He knows about Subject Zero, about Laura Hale... he even knows that I am responsible for Claudia Stilinski's death."

"Do you want me to cover your tracks, sir? Just name it and I'll make it happen." Norman smiled menacingly as he stepped near Shaw, turning him towards the window.

"See, you said that when I asked for Stiles Stilinski to be killed. You failed. And I've decided, I don't want a failure working for me." He opened the window to let fresh air into the office. "I really value the bond we have, Mr. Shaw. I really do. However, I'm afraid this is where we must part ways."

"I'm sorry to hear you say that, Mr. Osborn."

"I know... and since I can't allow you to tell anyone about what you've seen or done for me..."

Norman turned Shaw around, and as the assassin's met his, a cold rage overtook Norman. His hand clenched tightly into a fist as he hit the assassin, knocking him out of the open window, where he plummeted to his death. Screams echoed from the street as Norman watched the street in silence, his hair flattened and hanging above his eyes, making him look as psychotic as everyone suspected he was.

He smiled menacingly. _Next is Stiles_ _Stilinski_ _. You want your friends and family out of this, you should have taken the offer the moment I gave it to you kid._

* * *

 **Tuesday, August 28th**

* * *

Stiles would find that he fell asleep around four in the morning, and he had to be back up at seven to get to school on time. In a simple sense, he was basically half dead as he began making his way through the school that morning, having opted to just have his Dad drive him. Last night when he had gotten home, he had remembered to put that envelope with the five grand in it under the door where they would normally get the newspaper. Stilinski seemed really happy this morning to be honest, and Stiles couldn't help but smile at that.

"So, why do you look so happy this morning?" Stiles asked, as Stilinski tilted his head with a grin on his face.

"I found five thousand dollars underneath the door this morning."

"Do you know who it's from?" Stiles asked, trying to hide his smile.

"I don't know, it just said it was from someone that owed me a lot more than what they could ever give in paper."

"So, it was from someone you saved while working?"

"Apparently. I might have it checked for fingerprints to see who it was from."

Stiles immediately gulped, before laughing lightly. "Uh, Dad... if they didn't give their name clearly they didn't want to have their identity revealed. Sometimes, it's better to not look a gift horse in the mouth."

Stilinski seemed to think about this for a moment, before he nodded and kept driving. _Oh thank god, I don't think I could explain how I got that five grand without revealing my powers, and everything else. Dad wouldn't be able to handle it at this point. Especially if he finds out I'm going to die soon._

There was the kicker of his situation. He had no idea as to how he would say goodbye to the people he cared about, especially his father, Lydia, Scott, and Harry. He didn't think there was going to be a chance to say goodbye to everyone. He thought back to what Norman told Harry last night. Sometimes, if he didn't know how to say goodbye, then maybe he shouldn't. At least he could make the memories good ones.

"Hey Dad, you know I love you, right?"

"I know, of course I do." Stilinski said with a smile. "Why, what did you do?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to make sure you knew." Stiles said with a weak smile as they pulled into the parking lot of Midtown High.

* * *

Class with Scott and Harry today was probably one of the best memories Stiles had in the past year. He would have gone to see Lydia during P.E. since today was mostly a free period for him since Coach rewarded him for the win the other night, but Lydia wasn't there. She had gone to the office to talk to someone about making a memorial for Tracy. Stiles was happy she was trying to make light of the dark situation, and as he sat down at lunch, he found Jackson sitting in front of him after taking a bite of food.

"Stilinski, you okay?" Jackson asked, noticing how Stiles looked a little bit pale today.

"I'm just tired, didn't sleep well last night."

"From the sound of it, you're not the only one that didn't get much sleep last night. Harry couldn't sleep after he and his Dad got attacked by some freak that shot webs or something." Jackson admitted, not saying that he had found Tracy's necklace in his hand last night. Stiles could tell there was something bothering him though as Jackson kept his phone oddly higher in his pocket than usual.

"Really, and what about you? Did you sleep okay last night?"

"Pretty much, except I had a nightmare. Woke up, talked with Harry for a couple minutes about something and then went back to bed. I was fine after."

Stiles sighed, as his Spider Sense went off and Jackson's pocket turned bright gold. "What's in your pocket then?"

Jackson choked on his drink, having been shocked that Stiles knew something was in his pocket. "My phone."

"Underneath the phone, what is it?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Jackson stuttered, sweat forming on his forehead. Stiles eyed him suspiciously.

"You realize I'm not going to tell anyone unless you tell me to. So, you can tell me, and I won't say a word. You say you're trying to be a better person, Jackson... then you need to be able to trust someone other than Lydia, or yourself."

"If I tell you, you seriously cannot tell a single person. **Especially** Lydia." Jackson hissed out with fear in his voice as he reached into his pocket, grabbing onto the object. Stiles nodded, leaning forward. He pulled the necklace out, and hid it just to where only Stiles could see it.

"Jackson... what is that?"

"I woke up with it in my hand, Stiles. I don't know how it got in my hand, or where it came from. I just know who it belonged to."

" _Belonged?_ "

"Stiles, it belonged to Tracy."

Stiles' sight turned red as he held himself back from grabbing Jackson right then and there. "How the hell do you have Tracy's necklace?!" he exclaimed in a whisper.

Jackson shrugged with confusion. "I honestly have no idea, Stilinski. I think someone came into the manor last night. Harry asked me if Danny or someone had been over last night, as he saw someone leaving the house when he got home. He thought it was one of Da... Norman's employees."

Stiles noticed how Jackson had to stop himself from saying a word... he about called Norman, Dad. Unfortunately, Norman Osborn was not the person you wanted to have as a father figure. Stiles used to think he was a good guy, but after what he did to his mother, Derek, and countless others, Stiles couldn't forgive him.

"Was it?"

"I don't think so. Norman was at the office late last night. I guess one of his workers died and he was mourning, close friend I guess."

"What was his name?" Stiles asked, nervous it might have been Dr. Connors or someone he might have known.

"Some guy named Shaw."

Stiles felt his blood turn cold. Could Norman have been responsible for Shaw's death? The thought lingered on his mind as he remembered something Norman said a while back when he and Harry got into that fight with Flash. Natural Selection. Norman saw him as weak for failing to kill Stiles... so he removed the weak link. If he killed Shaw, then it meant Norman wasn't playing around anymore. Friends and family, they were now in danger. Stiles clenched his fists underneath the table as Jackson touched his arm.

"Stilinski, what are you thinking?"

"I..." Stiles switched his train of thought to the necklace. "I think, that you need to give me that necklace. There's a reason you have that, and it's the same reason Tracy is dead."

"Why?"

"Because, you know me."

"What? Why would you be the reason?"

"Don't say a word, but I've been looking into the murders, and the killer thinks I'm getting close. He's trying to make me back off."

"Stilinski, you're joking right? Please tell me you're joking here."

"Look, I have no reason to joke here, Jackson. Someone died because of me, I'm not joking in the slightest... I'm going to find out who he is, and then he's going to pay for what he did to Tracy, and every other person he killed. So give me the necklace, and you won't be involved with this."

Jackson gave Stiles the necklace, a little bit too eagerly in Stiles' opinion, right before Flash sat down next to them. As they spoke, Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off, while unbeknownst to him, across the cafeteria, in the doorway was the Identity Thief, watching him with an amused grin on his face.

"And the pieces are falling into place. Soon you'll know the story, Stiles... and after that, you'll never see Erica again."

* * *

 _Leave it to me to bring pain and suffering to everyone else I know. Tracy Stewart, is dead because of me. Scott, I think he's wondering why I've been so distant since the field trip. I can't tell him, otherwise he'll be a target more than he already is just for knowing me. Jackson, he was given Tracy's necklace by the Identity Thief, there's no doubt in my mind. If he is lying, and he knows how he got it in the first place, I think we'll have a more detailed conversation._ _Who knows, maybe he'll see the side of me that I'm reserving for the Identity Thief, for that particular moment where I find him, and I'll get my hands on him._

 _I'm just, afraid really. I know I have very little time left. I can feel it in my bones, something bad is coming, and I don't think I'm prepared for it. I'm afraid to find out what Norman might do. If it involves Lydia, Erica, Scott, or Harry... or my Dad for that matter, I don't care if I have to come back from the dead, he won't get away with it._

* * *

Allistaire Smythe entered Norman's office with a wide grin on his face. "Mr. Osborn, I believe you wanted to have four of the improved Hunter bots I've been working on?"

"Yes, I'm setting a trap for a spider... and I'll need those hunters to make sure he's cornered with nowhere to go." Norman said lowly staring out the window.

"I'll have them ready for you come tomorrow morning."

"Excellent."

* * *

 **Wednesday, August 29th**

* * *

Madame Web woke up with the vision of Norman Osborn standing over Stiles Stilinski's lifeless body, and she knew... today was the day. Stiles was going to die today.

 _Time has run out, Mieczyslaw._

* * *

Stiles woke up hearing those words, as he looked at the clock. It was nine in the morning, and as he climbed to his feet, he frowned lightly. Today was a school improvement day so he didn't have to be at school. He was honestly hoping to be at school, especially with that warning from Madame Web.

He didn't feel afraid anymore, he just wanted this to be over with. Stilinski was already gone to work, so there was no chance to see him one last time. Derek was, well he was Derek. He had more important things to do than spend time with him. He had just gotten Laura back, and Stiles was afraid he was going to have to get Cora back on his own, if she was still alive.

Scott was at the hospital, doing his internship under his mother. Harry was probably in bed still, and there was no way Stiles was going to Norman Osborn's home. That was probably as bad as an idea as eating live bees.

There was only one person he would be able to see, and that was Lydia. She was supposed to be working at the Tower today. If he died, he at least wanted to spend some time with someone he cared about before it happened.

He put on a jacket, with a black t-shirt that showed off his physique very well. Stiles didn't even realize that this was the very outfit he was wearing in that vision Madame Web had shown him.

Stiles had spent all of yesterday tinkering with his web shooters, trying to find some new innovative use for them, but he figured it was a waste of time now. He slipped them on his wrists, tied his shoes, and took off through his door, for what he presumed to be the last time.

 _I love you Dad, just please never forget that..._

* * *

Lydia watched as Stiles entered the lab, a little drearier than usual, but he was still smiling at her. "Okay, I don't see food, so what's the reason this time?"

"I just wanted to see you, I hope that's okay."

"Of course it's okay. I was just messing with you." she smiled, hugging him, to which he hugged back tightly, putting his face against her hair. "Have you gone to the gym a lot lately? You were never that strong a few years ago."

"A lot can change in a few years. Even a few weeks..." Stiles admitted as Dr. Connors came into the room.

"Mr. Stilinski, what a lovely surprise. I'm glad you're here, actually. I know it's a bit much to ask, but would you mind giving us your input? Ms. Martin and I are working on something you might know about. Cross Species Genetics."

"Cross Species Genetics? Wasn't that what my Mom was working on?"

"Yes, and it's the very same thing I'm still working on. I've been working on this for so long, it feels wrong to abandon it now."

"What are you guys working on?"

Lydia and Dr. Connors explained, and Stiles agreed to help, the long work session lasting for over five hours, as through a security camera, Norman Osborn watched intently.

Norman smiled as the camera zoomed in on Lydia Martin. "Hmm, looks like I have my bait. Now for the Hunters to set the trap for me."

* * *

"Good night Dr. Connors. I'll get those samples to the freezer immediately." Lydia informed the doctor as he left for the night, and Stiles smiled, putting his jacket on, having not realized he had his arm draped around Lydia's shoulder.

"I'll come with you to put it away, then we can go get something to eat."

"Sounds like a plan. You're paying though."

"Very well, m'lady..." Stiles smiled brightly as Lydia grabbed the samples and they took off for the freezer, away from the labs... and away from anyone's sight. Stiles felt his Spider Sense going off, but he didn't know where the danger was. As they reached the large metal doors, Stiles watched as Lydia entered the freezer.

"I'll be right back out."

"Alright." he sighed, as out of the shadows came one of Allistaire Smythe's newest creations, the Hunter 2.5.

Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off like a bomb in his head, but before he could react the robot was upon him, throwing him into the freezer like a rag doll, barely missing Lydia, and the doors shut, the locking mechanisms slamming into place. Stiles and Lydia's eyes grew wide as the robot's eyes glowed red.

"Hey!" Stiles screamed, running to the door, pounding on the door, as the small glass window showed the robot's menacing form.

"Isn't that one of Dr. Smythe's robots? It shouldn't harm anyone in the building."

"I guess it's jealous of my good looks." Stiles lied, as he knew Norman Osborn was playing his final move. This was it, it was endgame.

Stiles stared at the robot, before hitting the door hard enough to slightly dent it. As he stared, his eyes turned pitch black... just like that of a spider's.

Out of the room, a speaker in the robot's torso hissed out. "Looks like I've caught a spider in _my_ web. Time to put that flame out, Stiles..."

Just like that, Stiles began pounding on the door, praying that someone would hear... anyone.


	29. Frozen Hearts

_Chapter Twenty-eight: Frozen Hearts_

* * *

 ** _1999_**

* * *

 _The young three year old Stiles was sitting quietly in his swing as his mother pushed him forward as they had all week. It was one of those rare times that Claudia actually had time off of work and all she wanted to do was spend time with her little boy. Stiles missed her more than anything, and while he loved spending time with his Dad, there was nothing like spending time with his Mom._

 _There were moving trucks next door, men unloading furniture and miscellaneous things into the house as Stiles watched a little girl with the brightest red hair he had ever seen climb out of a car behind the trucks. His eyes grew wide at the sight of her, feeling something happen in his chest that he had never experienced before. It was like excitement, just a little bit different._

 _"Mommy... is that an angel?" Stiles asked motioning towards the little girl, as Claudia looked at her, before smiling._

 _"She might just be Mischief... she might just be."_

 _"Lydia! Come check out your room!" called the girl's mother from inside the home as the girl she ran into the house, her ponytail bouncing wildly on her back._

 _Stiles smiled lightly at her name... Lydia._

* * *

"This room was originally a lab that could contain any hazardous material if it was leaked. It's completely blocked off and we're the only people back here. Hit it as hard as you want, nobody is going to hear us in here Stiles." Lydia shook as she felt the cold air. "Being locked in here is the least of our problems, the temperature's going to drop..."

Stiles watched as the robot staring at him backed away and disappeared out of the room, leaving the freezer locked. He pounded on the door, feigning his strength due to Lydia's presence, but it wasn't even on his mind about that right now, because now he had something more important to worry about. His eyes fell upon the strawberry blonde whose eyes were looking up towards the vents where the coolant systems would send blasts of freezing air into the room to ensure the samples were not ruined.

"What was that about the temperature dropping?" Stiles asked lowly as he saw Lydia's face turn to that of fear for the first time in his life, like she was truly and utterly fearful.

"Stiles, the temperature is going to kill us if we don't get out of here, that's what that's about." She hissed out, her voice shaking as Stiles breathed outward, watching his breath turn to steam as it touched the air. He stepped forward and put his hands on her face.

"We're not going to die, I promise you that... somebody will come and get us out. I won't let anything happen to you, I would die myself before that happens." Stiles smiled lightly as she smiled back at him before she laid her head against his chest.

"Stiles," she whispered under her breath to which Stiles tilted his head. "if you're going to promise me something... please make sure it's something you can actually do, okay? You're trapped in here too."

"For you to be safe, I'd do anything. Lydia, just... if you make it out of here without me, just remember that I'm always going to be with you..." he assured her as he touched the spider necklace and smiled. "I'm always going to be with you, no matter how far apart, or if I'm alive."

"Stiles, don't act like you're dead yet."

"I'm not, I just want to make sure you know that..." Stiles sighed, thinking about what Madame Web had told him during their encounter. Norman Osborn will win. Lydia backed away and walked to a corner and sat down, all while Stiles turned to the door where he could see that robot back, its red eyes glowing towards him just from the doorway where it had disappeared from a moment earlier. 

* * *

**Winter, 1999**

* * *

 _Stiles was watching the weather, hoping for the first snowfall of the year. It was supposed to be a good one too. That meant he could go outside and have snowball fights with Scott when he came over. If his Mom got off work early enough, they might even be able to make a snowman! He was bouncing up and down awaiting the news when he saw it was supposed to snow overnight. He squealed with joy as his Dad came out of the kitchen having finished up doing the dishes. He had failed miserably in making lasagna for dinner, so he had to clean up his mess._

 _"Someone's excited for snow. I hate the stuff personally." John admitted wiping his hands with a towel. "So, have you talked to the Martins' little girl, Lydia? She's your age."_

 _The kid turned away from his father for a moment, trying to hide an embarrassed smile. "Um..." his high pitch voice squeaked out as his father developed a cheesy grin._

 _"I see... and why are you so nervous about speaking to her? Afraid she might not like you?"_

 _"No..."_

 _"Okay, are you nervous that you're going to embarrass yourself?"_

 _Stiles nodded quickly, to which Stilinski came and sat down beside him. "You know what, Stiles? I was really nervous when I met your Mom."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yeah, I was. In fact I was terrified... I was in the Police Academy at the time, and your Mom... she was just starting out at her work. You could see how full of life she was, so passionate about life that it made you nervous to even speak."_

 _"What did you do?"_

 _"I told myself that no matter what, if I didn't speak to her, I was going to regret it and at least in the end you'll know what would happen if you tried. You know, we all get nervous about meeting someone eventually. It might be for work, it might be someone you might have feelings for. It's good to be nervous, it means that it could change everything for you." Stilinski held him close looking out the window as Stiles saw Lydia hop outside with her father beside her._

 _"Everything?" he asked._

 _"Everything..."_

* * *

 _Stiles woke up the next morning and immediately popped his head through the curtains to see that the entire area was covered in a layer of snow, and some kids were already out there playing. He got dressed up in his winter coat and that, running downstairs past his Dad._

 _"Whoa, where do you think you're going?" Stilinski asked him with a smile._

 _"To play in the snow, Dad!" he informed him, the kid putting his arms on his hips, resembling his mother a lot more than Stilinski would have expected._

 _"Okay, just making sure. Stay out of trouble, kiddo. I'll call you for some hot chocolate after bit."_

 _Stiles smiled brightly at him, before rushing out the door._

 _Scott showed up about ten minutes later, and Stiles had already set up his little snow fortress, which in truth was just a pile of snow that covered everything but his head. The three year old rubbed his gloves together, giggling evilly believing he had the jump on Scott as his best friend approached, only to have that plan ruined when a snowball hit his head, knocking him into his fort, and he was covered, blending into the yard._

 _"Ouch..." he groaned, as he heard Scott's voice._

 _"Stiles?" Scott called out for him, as he looked next door to see in a pink snow coat and hat was Lydia looking at him oddly. "Hey, have you seen Stiles?"_

 _"What's a Stiles?" she asked, and Stiles' eyes grew wide recognizing her voice, throwing his arm up into the air._

 _"I'm a Stiles..." he grunted climbing out of the snow as Scott jumped in surprise having been only a few feet away from him._

 _"That's an odd name."_

 _"Oh, it's not my name..." he rubbed the back of his neck, his face red from the snow and he was blushing, but it was hidden well. "It's just a nickname. I can't say my real name so all my friends call me Stiles."_

 _"Why Stiles?"_

 _"It's a family nickname." he admitted, as Lydia came over through the yard and held her hand out._

 _"Well, nice to meet you Stiles. I'm Lydia."_

 _"Nice to meet you Lydia. This is Scott." Stiles smiled at her motioning to Scott whose face showed how out of place he felt, but that awkward sensation he experienced was over when Stiles formed a snowball and blasted Scott._

 _"Hey, that was unfair! I wasn't even looking!"_

 _"It's a snowball fight, Scott! It's not supposed to be fair!" Stiles stuck his tongue out as Lydia made a snowball, and threw it at Stiles, with what Stiles considered to be the prettiest smile he had ever seen._

 _He might have been hit, but on the plus side, he met Lydia Martin._

* * *

Nearly ten minutes had passed and Stiles could feel it getting dramatically colder in the room, probably from the two large heat signatures in there. Stiles pounded on the door once more noticing the robot wince at the sound of the metal bending on the door ever so slightly.

 _Not now Stiles... not now. I need to think this through before I go spider strength on this door..._

Stiles sighed and lowered his head against the freezing glass, thinking about his father who must have been worried sick about him, or at least would notice the teen hadn't come home at all, without even a single call or text to let him know where Stiles was.

Stiles heard the shiver escape Lydia's lips, and he could see how her skin was already starting to form a sickly blue hue, and in that moment his heart nearly stopped.

Now, there was no way she would even want him around, but Stiles wasn't the average dweeb he used to be. Now he was a Cross Species and he wasn't feeling the cold as bad as she was.

"Open up you son of a-" he yelled, almost cursing at the monster who had locked them in, but Stiles stopped himself as Lydia was here, and he knew that foul language wasn't going to get him anywhere.

"St-stiles," she stuttered out as she curled into a ball in the corner, and Stiles immediately rushed over to her side. "We're not going to make it out of here, are we?"

"Don't say that... we'll be fine. Don't worry. I've got you," he assured her as he sat down beside her, taking his jacket off and wrapping it around her. Lydia looked almost grateful, but at the same time she looked afraid.

"Stiles... don't, you'll freeze."

"I'm going to eventually freeze anyway, but you need to stay as warm as you can. I won't live in a world where you aren't in it... I can handle the cold..." He lowered his head quietly, putting his hand on Lydia's so she knew no matter what she wasn't alone.

As he heard the hiss coming from the cooling system, Stiles knew it was about to get a lot colder in here, and seeing as Lydia's eyes were already closing from the loss of heat, Stiles did the only thing he could. He lifted her into his arms, and brought her in close; her head nuzzled into his neck like a puzzle piece, and Stiles knowing she was just barely awake, he used a new function on his web shooters he was testing out... thermal-webs. A web blanket squirted out of his gadgets, covering the two. _This will keep her warm for a little while at least_ , he thought to himself. However, there was still the matter of trying to get out of here, all he had to do was wait for the cooling system to shut off and he could save her...

In her daze, Lydia didn't even realize that Stiles had carefully taken her into his arms, but once she realized the awkward position they were in, Lydia didn't even bother fighting it. She was so, so cold... and Stiles was the warmest thing in that room; it felt right being in his arms, and she didn't know why. Lydia barely knew who Stiles was anymore, yet here she was possibly having her life saved by the guy.

"Stiles... thank you." was all she could muster before she nuzzled her head into his shoulder and dozed off into the warm slumber that could end her life if they weren't rescued soon.

Stiles cracked his neck and brought as close to him as she possibly could be, just wanting her to be safe in his arms.

 _Hey,_ Stiles thought to himself. _Madame Web, are you there by chance?_

"I am always here, it just depends on whether I want to answer or not. What can I do for you Mr. Stilinski?"

 _I know today is the day I die, isn't it? There's a reason you wanted to talk about Lydia, isn't there? She was in your vision._

"I am afraid so, but seeing where you are now, I'd say now is the only chance I'll have now to tell you what I tried to tell you that day..."

 _Lay it on me, M.W. No time like the present, huh?_

"The reason you die is because of your love for her. You will die saving the woman you love."

 _Dying to save her? I wouldn't want it any other way._

"Then you know what to do Mieczyslaw... save her."

 _Alright... I guess I have no other choice. Madame Web, I'm sorry I ignored you before. I was just trying to deny the inevitability of this, I suppose._

"It is quite alright. I would have done the same. All that matters is that you've come to your senses. It was a pleasure getting to meet you... your parents would be proud knowing this is how you would give your life."

 _Hey, with your powers, can you speak to the dead?_

"No, but I can reach through the fabric of realities, why?"

 _If you can, find a world like this where my mother is alive... and tell her I love her, okay?_

"I will. Goodbye Stiles Stilinski."

Stiles smiled lightly as he looked at Lydia and closed his eyes enjoying the last few minutes of his life where he had the person he cared about most in his arms. 

* * *

**_2003_**

* * *

 _It was when Stiles turned seven years old that things started to turn sour in his life. His mother was working outrageous hours, and to be honest she was very distant even when she was home. Stilinski was trying to get through her wall that she had mysteriously set up, but even he was unable to do so._

 _One of the few good things he had was spending time with Scott, and as luck would have it... Lydia. They had started hanging out after that snowball fight and had become what he considered to be friends. While they weren't close like him and Scott, Stiles still considered her to be a friend. Lydia shared some of his interests, such as science and that, helping him with "experiments" he had cooked up, with some instructions online. Oh man, Stilinski looked like he was going to strangle Stiles for that mess. Lydia being the cute one of the two, she got away scot-free. Stiles had been grounded for nearly a month over it, and even though he was in trouble, his Mom didn't really say much about it. Stiles often wondered what was going on with her, but eventually he stopped focusing on it so much._

 _So Stiles and Lydia were outside one day, sitting underneath that one tree that became their sanctuary as whenever Stiles was upset he would be under the tree, and if Lydia saw him, no matter what time it was she would come out and talk with him, and vice versa, when Lydia told him something that had been painful for her._

 _"I just got told that Dad is leaving." Lydia said weakly as Stiles looked at her with confusion._

 _"What do you mean, leaving? Like leaving as in divorce?"_

 _"Yes... I heard Mom talking to him a little bit ago, and I think he doesn't want to be around me anymore."_

 _"Why wouldn't he want to be?"_

 _"I don't know Stiles..." she admitted laying her head against the tree as Stiles grabbed her hand lightly._

 _"S-so what if he doesn't want to be around you? It's his loss." Stiles said confidently. "There are plenty of people who want to be around you..."_

 _"Like... you?" she asked, with a slight smile, to which Stiles nodded._

 _"L-like me. After all, you're m-my friend Lydia. I'll always be here for you when you need me." Stiles told her, his words spilling out as he was entering that phase of his life where he was all flustered around her._

 _Lydia had a tear running down her face as she scooted closer to Stiles, laying her head on his shoulder._

 _"Thanks Stiles..."_

* * *

 _So, I guess this is how I die, huh? I never thought that I would die like this... I mean, I imagined how I might have died sometimes. Dying at the age of seventy-two with my wife, (didn't know who it might have been, but now that I sit here knowing my life is about to end I imagine Lydia being my wife at that age) and my kids, and some of my grandchildren around my bed. I figured that was the best way to go out right, with your family? Yet, right about now I would settle for just Lydia._

 _This was the end of my story in my mind. What a short-lived adventure this was. This was a waste of superhuman abilities, my mother and father's wishes to keep me safe... everything they had worked for to build a life for me, was for nothing._

 _Well, I guess not entirely for nothing anyway._

 _After all, I have Lydia Martin in my arms right now... I wouldn't ask for anything else in the entire world if this was the rest of my life. In a way, it was._

* * *

He had no idea how long they had been in there, but he knew it was long enough that he was starting to feel cold now and Lydia herself had ice crystals forming in her hair, yet was still breathing and had warmth to her.

Stiles smiled at the thought of her being in his arms as Lydia's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him, her lips slightly blue from the cold and she grabbed his hand, entwining their fingers together. Stiles looked at her curiously to find her looking at him with sorrow.

"Hey, you okay?" Stiles asked, and she nodded.

"I am, b-but... I just, I just wish I didn't have to say this right now... b-because I-I might not get another chance. Y-you k-know h-how you always had a cr-crush on me as a kid?"

Stiles laughed dryly at the thought nodding. "Yeah, I remember... why?"

"I-I just regret not telling you that, that I had a crush on you as well." Lydia laughed lightly as Stiles looked at her with surprise as she gave a sad smile towards him. "M-maybe in another life?"

"No, I'd say this life turned out okay... because maybe it wasn't the right time when you wanted to say it, and things wouldn't have ended well... I mean, everything happens or doesn't happen for a reason."

"Y-you th-think so?"

"Yeah, I-I'd like to think that." Stiles shivered for the first time as Lydia pulled away from him and he watched as her frost covered hair fell onto her shoulders. She lightly moved her hair behind her shoulder and leaned forward, ever so carefully kissing Stiles right on the lips.

It was a short, tender yet passionate kiss that Stiles gladly returned, and he could feel the electricity trickle through his lips at her touch, and in that moment it felt like his breath had been taken away, yet he felt stronger than ever before... She smiled at him before laying her head back down on his shoulder. "S-so, what do you think the reason behind that was?" she laughed as she closed her eyes.

"I don't need a reason for that..."

 _It was the universe having you say goodbye._

* * *

 **2004**

* * *

 _Stiles walked slowly into the yard, wearing the suit he had worn to Claudia's funeral just a few hours ago. His father was already inside, most likely laying down in the chair. Stiles walked up to the tree, sitting down against it with his head in his knees._

 _For how long he sat there, he didn't really know, but eventually he found that he wasn't alone anymore when Lydia sat down beside him, grabbing his hand._

 _"Hey..." she greeted, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. "You okay?"_

 _Stiles shook his head, keeping his head in his knees. Lydia frowned lightly laying her head against his shoulder as she always did when he was sad, finding it comforted him._

 _"You wanna talk?"_

 _Once again he shook his head, but lowered his legs to where his head was no longer resting upon them._

 _"That's fine... we don't have to talk. We can just sit here as long as you want." She sighed as Stiles laid back against the tree. "I can't imagine what that feels like."_

 _"You do... in a way." Stiles broke his silence, turning towards her. "It's kind of like your Dad... except he told you he was leaving. Mom... she... she started leaving a long time before she got sick."_

 _Lydia noticed he wasn't stuttering or stumbling over his words right now, and she had to hide a smile over that._

 _"Mom was working so much the past few years that I barely got to see her more than a few hours a week. When she was home, it was like she wasn't even there, you know? She was always so distant. I thought maybe, that she was just tired and needed to rest. I expected her to say to me 'Don't worry, Mischief... we'll spend time out on the swing tomorrow.' or something that would make up for her being gone, but no... she didn't say that. Eventually, it was like she was a stranger. When she got sick, there were times where I wasn't sure if she was a stranger, or if she was actually my Mom. Doctors said that she was suffering from her dementia for years, but it had recently accelerated its progress."_

 _"Stiles, I'm so sorry."_

 _"At least, at least when I saw her at the hospital that night, she recognized me... told me she wasn't going away, not really. She would always be with me. She died being my Mom... not the stranger that lived in our house for the past few years, but the Mom that I knew and loved."_

 _Stiles sniffled, holding back his tears the best he could, as he felt Lydia squeeze his hand, and it was then that he would realize that this was the day his crush on Lydia turned to something more._

* * *

Stiles watched as Lydia fell asleep into a heavy slumber and he slowly laid her down on the floor, having put his sweatshirt underneath her for a pillow, stripping him down to a black t-shirt and his blue jeans. Stiles shook off the cold as he walked over to the door, taking one last look at Lydia's sleeping form before he grasped the handle and the wall where the hinges were located.

 _I'm not letting her die here... come on Mieczyslaw... do this!_

Stiles yelled at the top of his lungs as he pushed outward, ripping the door out and sent it flying into the wall, right as the robot's eyes glowed brighter and came charging at him.

With a press of his fingers he sent out a thick spray of web into the robot sticking it to the wall. "Norman! I know you're watching! Come and face me! Don't send your robots to do your dirty work!"

The robot's eyes stopped glowing and went dark as the door to the hallway opened... and Stiles nodded at the robot before turning and heading back towards Lydia, pulling the web blanket off of her and picking her up into his arms.

His eyes showed no fear... he was accepting his death wholeheartedly and he didn't care what happened next, as long as Lydia Martin lived to see another day, even if it was a world without Stiles Stilinski.

The air was significantly warmer but Stiles couldn't feel his hands he was so cold right about now as he walked down the hallway, his eyes never looking any other direction than straight ahead.

The white hallways eventually led to a familiar room, the one where Derek Hale had been held in during his time in the Tower, and in the center was a bed where Norman was standing behind, two robots standing behind him.

"I see you've come to your senses Mr. Stilinski."

"I wasn't going to let you kill her because you wanted to get to me... that cooling system wasn't going to shut off until we were both ice cubes." Stiles laid Lydia down on the bed as Norman pressed a switch turning a heat light on above her.

"I never intended to kill her, I was planning on this happening. She'll be fine... now how about we go somewhere a little quieter to deal with our problems."

"No..."

"No?" Norman questioned as he pulled a knife out and held it to Lydia's throat, the girl none the wiser about her situation. "I wouldn't be saying that in your shoes."

"Our problems aren't going to be solved until I make one point very clear to you... and I won't go unless you agree to it, and keep your word."

"Very well," Norman laid the knife down as Stiles shut his web shooters off completely and lightly held Lydia's hand. "What are your terms?"

"You can do whatever you want to me, you can break my soul, take my life away... beat me, hurt me, even kill me, but for the love of God, don't touch her. She is the term. You are not to touch Lydia at all... if you go back on this before you finish me off, I will make sure you pay."

"Really," Norman smiled menacingly leaning towards him. "What could you do that is worse than the disease that is killing me?"

"I can come up with something, I'm sure. How about I tell everyone the truth about who you really are... how you were behind the deaths of General Slocum, Mr. Fargas, and Mr. Balkan. How you held a sixteen year old hostage for months being used as a guinea pig. How you sent an assassin after me... I mean, I have all the proof I need, just go back on our deal, and see what happens."

"Very well, I agree. If you weren't needed for my survival, you'd make a good addition to the Oscorp name."

"Oh cut the crap, you've hated me from the very moment you met me, haven't you?"

"No, I thought of you as a son, but that time has come and gone I'm afraid. As for the kill you part, that sounds preferable, but you're going to suffer as you have made me suffer. Do you know how far back Laura Hale's escape has put the Cross Species research? How much money I have lost because of it? You destroyed Allistaire Smythe's robots that were used for 'security' matters and that alone was more than your pathetic life is worth. I'm going to get my money back out of you..." Norman snapped his fingers as the robots' eyes glowed red and they charged at Stiles, grabbing him by the arms and took him into the observation room... where only the sounds of his pained grunts could be heard behind soundproof doors... 

* * *

**2005**

* * *

 _He had finally gotten it made... after secretly using his father's power tools in the garage while he was at work, and gaining a few cuts because of his inexperience, Stiles had finally gotten Lydia's birthday present. It was something he was originally going to give his Mom, but when she died Stiles lost the need to make it. When he decided to get Lydia a present, he didn't want to get her something expensive, or flashy... like some other people might have. No, Stiles wanted to give her something on a personal level._

 _The design had gone through some changes, but eventually he found the right symbol for it. Lydia hated spiders, but knew he was interested in them. In fact she would sometimes call him Spider-boy when he was at the pet store looking at spiders. Stiles held up the metal spider symbol in his hand, with a chain attached, making it a necklace. Stiles had never been so proud of anything in his life, and he was so happy when he saw her reaction to it._

 _"Stiles... did you make this?" she asked with wide eyes as she pulled it out of the little box he had put it in. He smiled brightly at her as he showed the cuts on his hands._

 _"Yeah, I did..."_

 _"It's beautiful."_

 _'Just like you' he thought to himself, but didn't say a word until she looked at him with that sweet smile that just made him turn into mush._

 _"I wanted to get you something different. I figure since we don't know if we'll stay friends forever, I wanted to get you something that would remind you of me... so in a way I would always be there for you even if I wasn't physically."_

 _Lydia hugged him tightly, to which he returned the hug happily. "I love it... can you put it on me?" she asked as they parted._

 _Stiles nodded, taking the necklace from her as she turned around lifting her hair up so he could put it on her. The symbol fell upon her chest, cold to the touch making a chill run up her spine from it as Stiles locked the chain._

 _Lydia looked at herself in the mirror, feeling complete with that necklace on. In a way, when she saw how much work Stiles had done to get her that necklace, that was when Lydia realized she liked him..._

 _"I'll always wear it..." she told him proudly, causing Stiles to blush._

 _"Aw, you don't have to..." he chuckled... "After all, I'm not going anywhere."_

* * *

Stiles was thrown upwards into the lights, shattering them as his eyes were covered with blood, and he felt the bones in his arm crack as it was pulled backwards by one of the robots. He did not resist as he felt a knee slam up into his chest, and he watched as blood splattered on the floor from his mouth.

With a punch to the jaw he was sent crashing into the wall where he slid down to the floor barely conscious. He had been beaten for ten minutes straight and his face was black and blue now, his right eye swollen and cuts all over his arms and face made him look like hell.

Norman eventually stepped into the room as water sprayed down from the sprinklers wetting Stiles down, his hair covered in his own blood and sweat. The businessman knelt in front of Stiles with a wicked grin on his face.

"Stiles, my boy... what has happened to you?" he laughed as he put his hands on Stiles' shoulders. "You know, this wouldn't have happened if you just stayed in the group that day."

"I've got two words for you... Fu-" before he could even get it out Norman slammed his fist into Stiles' nose, and Stiles fell to the floor grunting. "For an old man like yourself, that's not too bad... but I've gotta ask... IS THAT THE BEST YOU'VE GOT?!"

"You really should learn to keep that big trap of your's shut, it'll get you into trouble." Norman cackled as his hair whipped downwards onto his forehead making the psychotic look really pop out before he pressed both of his hands around Stiles' throat holding him against the ground as the robots held the teenager down. Stiles pressed his hands around Norman's wrists, knowing that if he just let it happen then Norman would suspect that he had a trick up his sleeve when in all honesty there was none, and Lydia would be hurt. Stiles slapped at Norman's wrists trying to break free in the weakest possible attempt ever thought of in the history of mankind as he felt his eyelids grow heavy and darkness was taking him over.

Was this what dying felt like? He thought that there was supposed to be a light that you saw when you died? There was no light, there was just... darkness...

Stiles' eyes closed as his arms went limp and fell to the floor and his head tilted to the side as he stopped breathing, and his heart stopped beating all together in synchronization. Norman made sure the teenager was dead and wiped his hair back into its slicked formal position and pulled a needle out of a case before he drew the blood out.

"It could have ended differently, but it was your mother's choice to bring you into this." Norman pulled the vial out and threw the needle away, motioning at the robots. "Dispose of the body, and then get the girl to the med bay. A promise is a promise, and I keep my end of the deal."

Stiles laid lifeless on the ground, as one final thought flew across his mind... Norman Osborn had won.

* * *

 **END OF EPISODE TWO.**


	30. Revelation

_Chapter Twenty-nine: Revelation_

* * *

 ** _EPISODE THREE: PSYCHOPATH_**

* * *

 _So, here we are. The day I have foreseen coming for months... the day that Mieczyslaw Stilinski died. Some might be in agonizing pain to find out that the teenager has perished, but as they say, death is only the beginning. I did not tell the complete truth as to what I saw. I did not just see Mieczyslaw die at the hands of Norman Osborn. No, I saw that while Mieczyslaw would die, his death would be the birth of someone new, someone stronger. I saw a hero rise from Mieczyslaw Stilinski's grave._

 _He has the pieces to solve a mystery, but he doesn't realize it. By the time this wall-crawling hero awakens, he will know the secret that has been eluding him for nearly two weeks. He will know the secret that New York desperately wants to know..._

 _Stiles... Stilinski will be reborn, and when he is, he will know who the Identity Thief is._

* * *

Derek sat quietly on Laura's couch, staring blankly at the wall. Something had been going on with him ever since he and Laura left Stiles at the Tower the other night. Laura had seen it, the strange sheen in his eyes and how he was on autopilot, not really being there mentally. The alpha werewolf didn't know what was wrong with her brother, but there was something off with him and she didn't like it.

"Derek, are you okay?" Laura asked as she stepped beside Derek, poking him on the shoulder. The werewolf lightly turned his head towards her, with a blank stare.

"Yeah... I'm okay." his voice was weak, almost like he was guilty. When Laura didn't respond to him, Derek said it again. "Yeah... I'm okay."

"O-okay." Laura sighed, backing away and sitting down in the kitchen, eyeing her brother suspiciously, unsure of what was going on with him.

Derek turned back to the wall as the disembodied voice spoke once more to him. _Good, do exactly as I say, and everything will turn out okay. Bring it to me... Bring all of it to me._

* * *

As Stiles laid lifeless on the floor in Oscorp Tower, across the city, Erica Reyes quietly walked towards her house only a few blocks away from Midtown High. She couldn't help but feel like she was being watched, a sensation that had been overwhelming her very being for weeks now. Ever since she broke up with Stiles, she had been fearful for her life. Not because she was afraid of Stiles, but because she was afraid of the reason she broke up with him.

Erica turned a corner into an alley, picking her pace up when out of nowhere a hand grabbed her by the shoulder. She turned to find the hooded man, whose eyes were soft, yet still that of a monster.

"No..." she gasped lightly.

"Do this easily... I don't want to hurt you more than I have to." the Identity Thief sighed, as Erica lowered her head with tears in her eyes. "Did you tell him who I am?"

"No, he has no idea who you really are..."

"Good, because I don't need him getting in the way, and by the time he finds out who I am, it'll be far too late for him to do anything."

Erica's will to fight back was gone, as she sighed, and went willingly with the Identity Thief.

 _Find me, Stiles._

* * *

 _So, dying gives a guy a lot of time to think. It's kind of hard to explain, but it might just be a few seconds from the moment I saw nothing to this point, but it feels like it's been years. I don't know why, but I completely gave up any possibility of fighting to the bitter end. Isn't that what I was supposed to do, not just give up?_

 _I promised to save Erica and Cora from the Identity Thief, and I just gave up when I found out today I was going to die. I might not be able to do anything, but with what time I have left, might just be minutes in my head, or just a couple seconds in real time, I need to see if I can figure out who the Identity Thief is._

* * *

 _I'm seeing every single bit of my life go by me. I see my mother, how she deteriorated mentally... how I fell in love with Lydia. Every fight with my Dad, every heartwarming moment. I see every beating I got, every time I failed. I also see how I became friends with Scott, and Harry. I see what I did the past week with my powers, how I looked like a hero. I see Lydia's scared eyes after she kissed me, falling asleep in my arms. I'm seeing everything. It's like everything is so slow, yet flying by me all the same._

 _So, I paid attention. Somehow, the information just comes rushing to me. I don't know what the difference was, maybe it's because my mind was otherwise preoccupied, or whatever it might have been. All I know is , I begin figuring it out. I see the talk between Tracy and me, and in the background behind Tracy, there's a person. It couldn't be him, right? It had to be a coincidence._

 _Then, it just fell into place. My talk with Tracy, the murders, Erica's fear, how the Identity Thief knew me and taunted me, how Jackson was targeted with Tracy's necklace, and most importantly, the connection to Cletus Kasady._

 _It was so clear, yet how did I miss it? Was it, was it because I didn't want it to be true? Whatever the reason, I feel everything start to slip as I hear one sentence._

 _"Wake up, Stiles."_

 _And so, I opened my eyes._

* * *

 **Hey guys, just wanted to step into the view for a moment and give you a heads up as to the "death" of Stiles.**

 **When I write something, I try to give it meaning. It's not just there to be there, there's a reason. So, here's something you need to think about when you finish reading this. I wanted the events of last chapter to connect back to Chapter One: The Tale of the Spinstress. It's about the tale of Athena and Arachne. How Arachne hung herself, and Athena made her come back to life as a spider. It's in a weaker sense of the form, because Norman didn't make Stiles come back to life, no... but he gave him "the magic liquid" that changed him from human to spider. Of course, this is a bit different because Stiles never turned into a legit spider. It's all a philosophical viewpoint in a sense. So, weak, puny Mieczyslaw Stilinski (The Human version of Stiles) died at the hands of Norman Osborn, but from that death "Stiles" Stilinski will be born and along with him, Spider-Man.**

 **It's also in a way something to do with spiders themselves. Tarantulas shed their skin, so in a way you can say that they are _reborn._**

 **Basically I laid this out in a few different ways. In Chapter Nineteen I started laying it out, hoping some of you would figure it out. So, I had the little tease of the Spidey suit. Then I had Derek mention how Stiles seemed like a different person. There's a few other tiny things but at the moment I'm writing this at like midnight, so I'm extremely tired.**

 **It's a tiny chapter, yes... but I didn't want to reveal who he was right off the bat. I think the next chapter will be the reveal you want, because it's just, intense, I might as well say.**

 **So, before the reveal next chapter: WHO DO YOU THINK THE IDENTITY THIEF IS?!**

 **And until then, I will see you all later.**


	31. Athena and Arachne

_Chapter Thirty: Athena and Arachne_

* * *

And so, the teenager's eyes opened, the whites of his eyes changing to pitch black, covering his irises like a tsunami until every bit of his eye was nothing but a black sea. His hands clenched tightly as he rose to his feet in a stumble, a sort of disorientation affecting him.

In front of him Norman Osborn was walking to Lydia, as she laid unconscious on the medical bed.

"I keep my end of the deal... normally. However, I can't have her snooping about trying to find out what happened to the pitiful excuse of a child. So, don't take her... kill her."

Stiles cracked his knuckles, pressing the web shooters to turn them on, before stepping forward ever so slightly. Throwing his hands forward, Stiles shot two thick strands of web onto the robots, yanking them towards him. Letting go of the webs, Stiles jumped up into the air, spinning quickly as he kicked the robots in half, destroying them.

Norman spun around, shocked at the sudden destruction of the Hunters, as Stiles landed on his feet, with one hand pressed against the ground. "No, that's impossible."

"You see, Norman... there's something you should know about some spiders... they molt."

Norman understood what Stiles was referring to. When he choked Stiles, he was changing. Just like how he had been changing over the course of the past week. His skin was becoming stronger, the littlest of hits from normal human beings were becoming less and less harmful to him. So when he was being choked, his body was adapting.

"Oh, and there's something else... I heard you." the Cross Species said with a devilish smile as Norman had a Hunter robot grab Lydia, and the man and the robot ran. "You're not getting away with her!"

Stiles pushed forward, racing with a speed unlike anything he had ever accomplished before, his feet creating cracks in the floor as he took off. He shot a web forward, pulling himself into the hallway, landing on the wall with his eyes focused on Norman.

As Stiles launched onto the floor, rolling to his feet five Hunter bots, older versions of the bot came running past Norman. Stiles smiled maliciously as he launched forward, his feet leaving the ground as the first Hunter closed the distance between them. The Cross Species grasped onto the robot's head, ripping it off, doing a front flip, throwing it towards the others. The robot head was like a bullet, smashing through three of the oncoming bots. Stiles was moving so quickly, using his Web Rush to his advantage as he used the first bot's body as a step, flying forward. As the final robot saw the last of its team fall, it looked up to see Stiles' feet coming at it.

The robots fell, destroyed as Stiles flew forward, crawling on the wall after Norman, much like a movie monster chasing its prey.

* * *

Eventually the chase would die as Stiles shut the door behind him, locking him in a room with Norman, and the Hunter bot holding the unconscious strawberry blonde.

Stiles stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as the Hunter bot set Lydia down on a table next to Norman. Before it could even move, Stiles was upon it, sending it crashing through a wall, and Stiles was now standing directly behind Norman, with his head lowered. Norman felt sweat run down his forehead as he realized how close Stiles was.

"Tell me, Stiles, have you ever heard of the tale Athena and Arachne?"

"The goddess Athena heard a mortal woman by the name of Arachne was a better spinstress than she was. Out of fury she went down to Earth and destroyed Arachne's creation. When Arachne saw what had happened and saw that her life's work was destroyed she hung herself. Athena felt guilty, and touched her forehead with a magical liquid found only in Olympus. Turning her into a spider... _what about it_?" Stiles growled lightly.

"In a sense, I am Athena, to your Arachne. Your mother might have created the spider that bit you, but it is only because of me that you were able to get the powers you now have. I am the only reason you have your powers. You should be thanking me."

"Thank you?" Stiles asked with anger in his voice as he turned around, grabbing Norman and pinning him to the wall, squeezing the man's throat enough to where breathing was becoming nearly impossible. "You killed my mother... you tried to kill me, multiple times. Why should I thank you?"

"B-because... without, w-without your powers h-how ca-can you save..." Norman gasped, as Stiles eased up a bit. "How can you save someone from the Identity Thief?"

"What..."

"I know Stiles, I know a lot of things. I know what happened to the Hales, what really happened. I can tell you, but you have to let me go."

Stiles squeezed harder, as Norman clawed at his hands. It would be so easy to kill him, right here and now. Stiles knew it, Norman knew it... and deep down Stiles wanted to. He wanted to murder Norman for what he had done, for hurting so many people. However, that's not what Lydia would want from him... it's not what he was given these powers for. Stiles was not a killer, not like Norman.

As Norman's eyes began to close, Stiles grabbed him by the shirt collar, and slammed him into the door. The teenager let go and turned towards Lydia, moving the strands of hair away from her face. Stiles couldn't leave her here, as he laid his forehead against hers. It was almost surprising that she hadn't woken up yet, but he knew she was alive, breathing... and she was looking better with every passing second.

Stiles turned back as he heard the rustle of Norman stumbling to his feet. The teen pointed at him, making the CEO stop in his place. "I'm not going to kill you, but here's the thing. We need to clear one thing up before I leave with her... after today, we will not bring this into our personal lives. You will not bring my friends and family into our issues. I will not bring Harry into the mix. To the world, Stiles Stilinski and Norman Osborn are friends, as it was before..."

"Okay."

"I'm not done... you will not come after me anymore. You will leave Derek Hale, and Laura Hale alone as well. Tell anyone about my powers, go after any of the people I care about, or the opposite of what I just said, and I will be back to finish the job. I'm not a monster, like you, but I'm not afraid to be."

"You are afraid Stiles, I can see it in your eyes... you're afraid that if you start killing, you may not be able to stop. You know I'm right."

"Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong. Don't make me have to find that out Norman. Oh, and one final thing... leave Lydia out of all of this. Please..."

"F-fine."

Stiles lifted Lydia into his arms, with her head tucked against his neck fitting perfectly like a puzzle piece. Norman stepped aside of the door, unlocking and opening it for the Cross Species.

"No need... I don't want anyone seeing us go. It'll raise questions."

"Then how will you get her out of here?"

"Same way I did the other night. The window. Speaking of which, if I have to come back to you for going back on your word, dangling out of a broken window will be the least of your problems."

Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off as two Hunter bots ran in. Norman held his arm out, trying to stop them, as Stiles dodged, and tripped one of the bots, shooting a web on its leg as it fell through the glass, and crashed onto the wall.

"Stand down!" Norman ordered the standing bot, as the Hunter's head lowered. Stiles nodded to Norman.

"I'll see you around Norman."

"Until the next time we meet, Mr. Stilinski." Norman said weakly, as he looked at the vial on the table. It was the vial he had filled with Stiles' blood, and as he glanced at it, so did Stiles. "I suppose I can't ask that you'll let me have it?"

"I know what you can do with my blood, and I don't know what might happen if another person receives my blood Norman. It's a miracle I became a Cross Species from the X-95. It might not work the same with it being from me..."

Norman sighed as he stepped to the vial, but Stiles shot a web onto it, pulling it into his grasp. Stiles stared blankly at Norman as he crushed the vial in his hand, and blood ran down his hand.

Stiles jumped out of the window with Lydia in his arms, as a web connected to the wall and Stiles descended safely down towards a skyscraper below.

* * *

Arriving at Lydia's apartment, Stiles wiped the blood off of his face and climbed into her room with the strawberry blonde in his arms. He laid her onto the bed, having removed her lab jacket and put it on her computer chair. She was wearing his jacket still, and Stiles smiled lightly as he decided she could keep it. He looked in the mirror to find the bruises and cuts on his face from the robots were almost healed already. He was getting stronger, but he was still able to get hurt pretty easily. Stiles sighed, sitting down beside Lydia for a moment, smiling at the sight of the spider necklace dangling around her neck. He moved the hair off of her face, hoping to not wake her up. It had been dangerous for her to fall asleep at that temperature, but Stiles knew she would be okay.

He lightly kissed her on the forehead, before standing up as her eyes began to flutter open. By the time she opened her eyes, the only thing different was that Stiles was gone, and the window was wide open.

Lydia noticed Stiles' jacket around her, and she looked confused for a moment, before smiling lightly, as she wrapped it around her torso.

She didn't remember what had happened at the Tower, but she knew there was something different in regards to her relationship with Stiles.

Stiles watched from across the street as Lydia got up, and walked out of her room. With a small smile on his face, Stiles jumped off of the building and disappeared into the alley below.

* * *

Norman sighed as he stood in the lab where all of the robots Stiles had destroyed were now being moved into, having underestimated the power Stiles had. So, it was too late... there was no way for Norman to get the blood he needed from Stiles.

That's what Stiles thought anyway, as Norman pulled a vial out of his pocket, filled halfway with the magic red liquid that would save his life.

 _You think you're so smart, Stiles? I'll leave you alone, I got what I wanted in the end._

* * *

 ** _Thursday, August 30th_**

* * *

By the time Stiles would wake up, having passed out when he got home, the startling discovery he had made yesterday came back to him. He knew who the Identity Thief was, and as he grabbed his phone, launching out of his window and onto the street, racing towards the high school, he dialed Derek's number.

" _This is Derek, sorry I missed your call... if it's important leave a message._ "

The beep of the voicemail went off and Stiles growled. "I know who he is, Derek... I know who the Identity Thief is! GET TO THE SCHOOL NOW!" Stiles yelled as he raced through the streets of Queens, hoping he wasn't too late...

* * *

 _It was far too simple to not figure out. How had I missed it. He needed to be someone that could watch a student without arousing suspicion. He had to be smart enough to know how to understand chemical reactions, in fact he would need to be able to know science in general... there was the connection to Cletus Kasady. How could that have slipped by me? I forgot that he was connected to him in that way..._

 _He was the reason Erica was afraid, thrown into seizures because of it. Why she was so reluctant to talk about it. He was there the entire time, I just never realized it until it was nearly too late. He can't get away from me, he **won't**._

* * *

Stiles stepped into the classroom, feeling his Spider Sense go off. He saw the teacher's desk was glowing red as he opened a drawer to find a knife in it. He grabbed it, and tossed it out the window into the grass, as the sound of footsteps appeared. Stiles turned, and found the man standing there in the doorway looking slightly surprised.

"What are you doing in my classroom, Mr. Stilinski? I don't have a first hour, and you aren't in my class until late in the day."

"I think you know why I'm here... **Mr. Harris**."

The teacher just smiled menacingly as he held up a locket which dangled from his hand. Stiles clenched his fists as he realized what it was. It was the locket he gave Erica on their one year anniversary.

"So it is you..."

"Yes, Mr. Stilinski... I am the Identity Thief."


	32. The Identity Thief

_Chapter Thirty-one: The Identity Thief_

* * *

Here he was, face to face with the very horror that New York City had been afraid of for the past month, and secretly for years. Stiles watched how calm and collected Harris was as he held Erica's locket in his hand, with a minuscule smile on his face.

"You know, I'm actually impressed that you figured it out. What finally cracked the seal in your head?" Harris asked, genuinely curious as to how Stiles was able to do it. "I mean, you did what nobody else could, you found out who I was."

"It's not that it was hard, it's just so easy to see that you don't even realize it's there. You were hidden in plain sight."

Harris smiled for the first time, and it wasn't like his murderous grins he had always given Stiles during class, no... this was one between two intellectuals. "Indeed I was, to be quite honest I was afraid of Ms. Reyes telling you the truth. She kept her end of the deal, it appears."

"What deal?"

"Oh, the deal I made to her after she got away from me the first time. I told her if she told anyone about who I really was, and what I had done to her, I'd kill all of the people she cared about, starting with you. As a matter of fact, that was why she broke up with you, Stiles. She broke up with you to protect you."

Stiles' eyes grew wide in shock at the statement as Harris laughed. "You're lying."

"Am I? Think about it, for just a moment. Isn't it surprising that right before my murders started being televised at the beginning of August, Erica mysteriously broke up with you. How she would intentionally avoid you, especially when I was in the same room? I thought the seizure she had that day in class would have been clue enough... but apparently I was wrong. You were too focused on your secret affair with Lydia Martin, hmm?"

Harris laughed at the thought of Stiles getting with Lydia of all things. "I'm sorry, I mustn't laugh. It's just incredibly amusing to think that someone with as bright of a future as Ms. Martin would dare ruin that chance by being with the likes of you."

"Leave Lydia out of this..." Stiles warned, his fist cracking. Harris glanced at the fist and just smiled.

"Oh don't you worry, Mr. Stilinski, I won't touch a hair on Lydia. After all, you're too late. I got what I wanted, and you can't stop me."

"Wanna bet?"

Harris went around the desk to the drawer, putting Erica's locket in his pocket. As he touched the drawer, Stiles laughed. "What are you reaching for, the knife in your drawer which you keep as _protection_?"

The killer just sighed, lifting his hand away from the drawer. "So that's what you were doing by the window... you found my knife. Clever."

"Not clever, just being cautious."

"If you're worried about the possibility of being killed by me, you don't have to worry Stiles. In truth, I made a vow to personally never kill you. You've made me want to kill you, just by the mere sound of your voice, but that's beside the point. Your father saved my life, and so I owe him. Therefore, I am saving your life in a sense."

"I don't need some vow to keep me safe. Where's Erica?"

"Don't worry about her, she's in good hands."

"Good hands? Really, so that scar on her arm, that's being in good hands?" Stiles hissed at him, to which Harris shrugged.

"Potato-potato." Harris said the two different pronunciations of the word with a smile. "At least you can breathe in relief that she's alive."

"Speaking of being alive, where's Cora?"

"Safe, for now. I need your wolf on a leash, Stiles, and I need you on one now."

"Where is she..." Stiles growled stepping forward, wanting to grab Harris by the throat to get the answers he wanted.

"She's somewhere where you won't find her for now. Once I'm done, she'll be back. How long that is, it depends on her."

Stiles tried to hold himself back, but he just couldn't find the strength to. As he went to grab Harris, the teacher moved faster than he anticipated, stabbing Stiles in the neck with a needle, injecting a mysterious liquid into the teenager's body.

"Don't try to fight it, kid... you'll just make it worse. I had this made just for your pal Derek, but for a human like you... you may just die from it."

Stiles felt his entire body begin to lock up, as he fell to the floor, his hand clenching onto the corner of a desk as Harris stepped in front of him, sighing.

"Hmm, interesting... you have some resilience I see." Harris smiled as he knelt down to where he was level with Stiles' face, making eye contact with him. In his eyes Stiles could see the darkness that resided within the man.

Stiles was using all of his strength to just stay up, and even then it was a losing battle as sweat ran down his face. "Wh-where i-is s-s-she?"

"Don't you worry about her anymore Stiles, by the time I'm done with her, she'll be happier and stronger than ever. Without you being a part of her life."

He tried to move, but his muscles were locked up to where his body was like steel beams on a building. There was no bending it without extreme force, and Stiles just couldn't produce it.

Why hadn't his Spider Sense gone off and warned him what was going to happen? Stiles couldn't understand it as Harris stood up and walked to the door. "H-Harris..." he hissed heavily, struggling to even say a word as Harris just turned towards him for a moment. "I... I... I'll find you."

"I doubt after today we will see each other again, Mr. Stilinski. And if we do, I suggest you don't touch me, unless you don't want to ever see Erica alive again. I'm glad you found out who I was, it at least brings you some closure to this little adventure of yours. It could only ever end this way, you never stood a chance..."

Harris stepped into the hallway, disappearing around the corner as Stiles finally collapsed fully onto the floor, passing out.

* * *

Lydia woke up that morning with Stiles' jacket still around her, having not taken it off at all last night, and she hadn't slept too well to be completely honest. Something didn't feel right. She just couldn't get comfortable. Lydia felt like she just didn't fit right on the bed, even though she had slept peacefully every other night. For whatever reason, it felt like she was missing someone... she shook it off though as she unconsciously touched the necklace, all while one thought crossed her mind. _Where was Stiles?_

* * *

Stiles woke up to Derek slapping him, as the door was shut by Laura. "Hey, Stiles... can you hear me? Wake up!"

"D-Derek?" Stiles asked, the bright lights in the room hurting his eyes as Derek helped him sit up.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay? What happened? I saw your message and got here as soon as I could."

Stiles thought back to the injection and Harris' warning. "I know who he is, Derek... I know who the Identity Thief is."

"Who, who is it?"

"Adrian Harris, the only person to not die at the hands of Cletus Kasady... and he, he has Erica." the words came out of Stiles like he was throwing up, it hurt so much to say. Derek saw the look of fear in the Cross Species' eyes as he just hugged him, comforting his "brother."

Whether Stiles or Derek would admit it, Stiles was a part of the Hale pack, and in a way, they were brothers now. They were bound by blood, and there was no changing that.

"We'll stop him, Stiles... just tell us what we can do to help." Laura said lightly in the background, sounding awfully confident in him. Stiles wanted to smile, but he just couldn't. He couldn't do that when the one person he needed to protect most out of anyone else, was now in danger because he couldn't put the pieces together soon enough.

Stiles sat there for a moment, and began thinking back to a note that was found on one of the bodies Stilinski found.

 _If you want me... think, and find him..._

The teenager fought to his feet as his eyes turned pitch black and a devilish smile formed on his face.

"I need to talk to Cletus Kasady... he'll know where Harris will be."

* * *

 **Hey guys, so just a little heads up. As you might have seen in previous chapters it says something like Episode One, Two, Three, and so forth. Well, I wanted to make this feel like a season the best I could, without having it be drawn out too much you know. So, I came up with a plan.**

 **There are twelve episodes in Season Zero... as I am calling it. We are on Episode Three right now.**

 **The Episodes are as listed:**

 **1\. Powerless**

 **2\. Cross Species**

 **3\. Psychopath**

 **4\. Scars**

 **5\. With Great Power**

 **6\. Comes Great Responsibility**

 **7\. S.H.I.E.L.D.**

 **8\. Homecoming**

 **9\. The Omega**

 **10\. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen**

 **11\. The Mastermind**

 **12\. Spider-Man**

* * *

 **Think what you may about the titles, develop theories, do what you want to do... each episode is called such for a reason.**

 **Until next time guys, see you all later.**


	33. Sins of Evil's Past

_Chapter Thirty-two: Sins of Evil's Past_

* * *

The silence in the hallway as Stiles stumbled towards the exit was maddening. He was still recovering from whatever Harris had injected in him, probably a high dose of some sedative. Why it would lock up his entire body, he wasn't quite sure, but Stiles had no time to explore that question any deeper. Erica was in trouble and he needed to find her. In order to find her, Stiles would first need the answer to where Harris might be hiding her at, and only one person was psychotic enough to figure that out was the man who kidnapped Harris when he was a kid. That person was Cletus Kasady. Stiles knew it was insane to even consider speaking to Kasady, but he hadn't really considered every route.

He was terrified that something was going to happen to Erica if he didn't hurry. Stiles had already failed to keep Harris from getting her, and he didn't want to fail anymore. For all he knew, Erica was already suffering at a level he couldn't even imagine.

Derek was right behind him, trying to keep him standing, but Stiles was far too upset at the moment to allow help. Laura could smell the conflicted emotions coming off of Stiles and she had to think that he was probably a good addition to the Pack, because she noticed one thing above all those emotions, it wasn't really an emotion, but she could sense how determined he was. At that bit, she smiled, but overall the very situation was not exactly warranted for a show of... pleasure? She wasn't exactly sure how to explain the smile she had, but she knew that even though Derek wasn't really Stiles' Alpha, but because of his blood being inside of Stiles, it was metaphorical that Derek was that to Stiles.

To her disbelief, even though it could be said that Stiles was Derek's beta, the teenager was starting to go beyond Derek's own accomplishments. It was strange to consider, but Stiles had gone through more in a week then most werewolves had to deal with in two months.

Symbolically, Stiles was soon going to surpass his "Alpha," but in all honesty Stiles was far different than any Supernatural being. He was a mixture between the Supernatural, and science itself. Could he even be considered Supernatural?

Laura didn't know, but she knew one thing as Stiles stepped through the door onto the streets of Queens, there was going to be a lot of hardships coming for Stiles in the upcoming future. As someone who owed Stiles, she would help him out in whatever way she could, and as an Alpha, to a fellow member of her pack, she was also obligated in that sense as well.

Stiles slid on his web shooters from his pocket, and shot a web onto a rooftop, yanking himself into the sky. Derek and Laura looked at each other with a bit of surprise, seeing how natural it was for the teenager to do such a thing, with which he had only created the devices to do so, five days ago.

And to think, Stiles has only had powers for nine days.

* * *

Stiles didn't know what to do with his web shooters other than a way to pull himself off of the ground to get a bit of extra air, or to restrain opponents. Otherwise Stiles didn't know what he had these for. He was still a bit drowsy as he got to his house, thankful his father was at work for a bit as he ran up to his lab and pulled out a vial of the Lycan Serum.

He knew that there were restorative properties to this, but he would need to know the full dangers of the serum's side effects. One person would have the notes he needed to find out what was needed, and the means to create an antidote if it was dangerous enough. It was the man running the Lycan Project: Doctor Michael Morbius.

Stiles should have ran off to Ryker's Island to see Kasady, find out where Harris was right away, but if Erica was hurt Stiles wanted a way to ensure she wouldn't die. This was the best worst plan he had.

 _Give me some time, Erica... I'll come for you soon._

So much had gone on in the past few days Stiles had let what was really important slip by him, and he wasn't going to let it slip out of his grasp again. Stiles scanned through the files his mother had about Dr. Morbius and anything on the Lycan serum that might help him. Unfortunately though, he was coming up empty-handed. All except for one thing... the lab Morbius worked in on one of the floors of Oscorp Tower.

"Okay, all I need to do is just, get into the tower. It's not that hard. I mean, security's probably being beefed up. Sure, I could just bulldoze my way through it like the last time, but I don't want anymore trouble than what there needs to be. There's only one safe way to do it, and it's really, really bad..."

Stiles sighed, knowing this was probably better than the alternatives...

* * *

 _1993_

* * *

 _The strange green hue of his skin was what worried Norman as he went to the doctor. It was only a few weeks after he had mysteriously collapsed, only to wake up an hour later seemingly alright. Emily, his wife, was worried and Norman wanted to make sure that he was, for her sake. Believe it or not, there was a time where Norman Osborn was nothing less, or more for that matter, than a good man. Norman truly did have good intentions with the future of Oscorp. He had never hurt a fly. Norman couldn't find a reason to hurt anyone, he had a good life, and he had worked for it above all else, so why would he jeopardize that by hurting someone._

 _Norman watched the doctor enter the room and awaited the results. "Mr. Osborn, thank you for your patience."_

 _"What's the prognosis?" Norman asked, strangely weak as he saw the doctor remove his glasses. That wasn't a good sign, was it?_

 _"Norman, I'm afraid to say this, but you are in the early stages of Retroviral Hypodysplasia." the doctor said grimly._

 _"Retroviral..."_

 _"Hypodysplasia. It's a rare degenerative disease..."_

 _"Is there a treatment for it?"_

 _"Unfortunately no. We unfortunately do not have the means to cure it, but you might be lucky enough."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"R.H. affects each person differently. One could live for two years with it, while another can live decades with it. You might be able to live long enough to see a cure be made for it..."_

 _"So, by degenerative..."_

 _"It essentially rots the body from the inside. That's not the only problem that comes with it, Mr. Osborn. R.H. also causes chemical imbalance in the brain..."_

 _"You mean to tell me that I might..."_

 _"Yes, I am."_

* * *

 _Present Day._

* * *

Norman remembered how it was so strange to think that he could ever become the monster he was so afraid of, but the doctor was right... that chemical imbalance changed who he was.

Soon, he was so paranoid that people were out to get him, that Norman resorted to violence one night, and killed one of the board members. It was someone he thought was conspiring to get him thrown out of the company.

Norman had been so horrified, but after that it became easier. It became so easy that eventually, the action was almost like second nature to him. As he sat there in his chair in his study, holding the vial of Stiles Stilinski's blood, he thought about the possibility of returning to the man he used to be.

Could he become better? Stiles had survived the attack Norman unleashed on him yesterday, but the truth was he had tried to kill a teenager, his son's best friend. The blood he held in this vial, it was his possible salvation.

From the corner of his eye he could see something land on the window, and Norman quickly stored the vial in the desk as he turned to see Stiles Stilinski himself jump down into the room.

"You know, you could use the door Mr. Stilinski."

"I don't have the time to wait for you to answer whether to let me in or not. As much as I hate to say it, I need your help Norman."

Norman smiled lightly as he stood up, feeling the weakness in his body growing stronger. "I suppose, depending on what you need from me, I could help you."

"I need you to get me into Oscorp Tower to talk to Michael Morbius."

"Why would you need to talk to him?"

"I know he's the lead scientist on the Lycan project. I need to know what the Lycan Serum does to the people that gets injected with it."

"Again, why?"

Stiles sighed as he stepped closer, pulling out a picture. "This girl, Erica Reyes... she used to be my girlfriend. She was taken by the Identity Thief, and I need to make sure that I can save her. The Lycan Serum may be my only hope of healing her wounds."

"Stiles, you don't know if she's alive."

"She is, he told me himself... and if I can find him, I'll find her, and when I do, I'm going to save her. But I need the Lycan Serum to save her, but if there's some side effect to it that could kill her, I need to know that way I can fix it."

"Do you honestly think you could reverse damage from a serum that even Oscorp scientists might not have the cure to?" Norman asked, honestly.

"I'm willing to take my chances. Look, I know you don't like me, but you know what it's like to lose the people you care about. I know about Harry's mom, how she died giving birth to him. If something happens to Erica..."

"Alright... I'll get you into the Tower, Stiles, just please don't bring up Harry's mother... please."

Stiles nodded as he held his hand out, and Norman shook it..

* * *

The softly playing Opera music in the background was what gave Erica the chills more than anything. It wasn't the blood stained floor, or how run down this house was, no... the music that played whenever he was here was what scared her. It was the music he played when he would hurt her, or kill someone else.

Erica shook lightly as she watched Harris step down into the cold, dark basement with the syringe he injected into Stiles. She noticed how it was empty and feared that he had done something horrible.

"Nice to see you're awake... good."

"Wh-why?" she asked, nervous as to his intentions when he pulled out her locket from his pocket and handed it to her. She wasn't restrained, she was sitting on the bed she had been forced to sleep on when he first took her. "Why do you have this?"

"I borrowed it while you were asleep. Went to the school to make sure I had an alibi, and Stiles was there..."

Erica's eyes grew wide. "What did you do..."

"I didn't do anything. He's coming for you... he swore on it. He figured out I was the Identity Thief. I'll give it to him, he's smarter than I gave him credit for."

"He, he's coming for me?"

"Yes, and unfortunately that means I have to speed up the process..." Harris growled as Erica watched him pull out a key, and she froze immediately.

"No, no... please don't... d-don't." she whimpered as Harris grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet as he dragged her to the back room, passing a newly formed wall he had put up, and to a freezer. He unlocked the freezer, and forced her into it, before grabbing bags of ice, and a hose...

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body, Erica... remember that. I'm going to make you stronger."

Then he poured the bags of ice into the freezer, and filled it up with water. She couldn't do anything as he shut the lid and locked it shut.

"See you in a few hours..." he smiled menacingly, stepping away, leaving her to freeze. He stopped in front of the brick wall, and smiled. "Hello, Ms. Hale... are you awake yet?"

A low growl just came from the other side of the wall, causing Harris to chuckle lightly.

"Your words... use them... it's more polite..."

"He's coming for you, and when he gets you..." a female's voice called out.

"Your brother isn't coming for you, he's too busy trying to make sure I don't kill you. If he gets any closer, you'll be dead before he even steps one foot in this house."

"I wasn't talking about him... I'm talking about the other one... _the spider_." Cora Hale responded coldly, as Harris developed a strange chill at the mention of this "Spider."

Whoever it was, Harris had a feeling it would be different fight than a werewolf.

* * *

"Dr. Morbius," Norman called out for the scientist as Stiles stood beside him trying to keep his head down the best he could. "I need a copy of all your files on the Lycan serum. All of it."

"Why, if I may ask Mr. Osborn?" Morbius asked with a strange curiosity as he looked at the teenage boy standing with Norman. "Who's he?"

"He's not important. I need those files, right away Michael."

Morbius nodded nervously, rushing over to his desk and pulled out a black folder with the symbol of a white wolf on it, before handing it to Norman.

"Thank you..." Norman smiled lightly, before he and Stiles stepped into the hallway, near the stairs. "As promised, Mr. Stilinski... here is the info you need. Do us all a favor, and bring him to justice... whatever that might be. Just don't let him kill anyone else. I don't want Harry to be involved with this."

"He won't... nobody else is going to die because of him. I swear." Stiles nodded as he put the folder in his book bag, looking up towards the top of the stairwell. "Thank you, Norman..." Stiles shot a web up to the ceiling in the stairwell, waving goodbye with a smirk as he went flying upwards, leaving Norman there with a smile as well.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Stiles stood upon a rooftop looking at the vast concrete canyons of Manhattan, and cracked his knuckles. He had one goal in mind, and that was to save Erica. Until then, he was going to make sure nothing else got in the way. Enough people had suffered because of the Identity Thief. That ended today.

He sighed, as he stepped off of the building, hurrying home to study the files in his bag. What laid inside the files might just be the key to saving Erica's life.

* * *

Arriving at the house, Stiles found that Lydia's car was in the driveway, and at that he immediately hid the web shooters in his pockets and entered the house. _Maybe I shouldn't have told her where the spare key was hidden..._

He would eventually find her sitting on the edge of his bed, holding his jacket in her hands. "Hey," he greeted softly, noticing how she seemed a little bit off as he stepped into the doorway. She looked up at him and smiled lightly.

"Hey," she smiled softly at him, causing a warm sensation to fill his chest. "I, I wanted to return your jacket. I don't even remember you letting me wear it yesterday."

"You were cold... and don't worry about it. Keep it." he smiled, sitting down next to her. There was a silence between them as he looked at the floor, and even though they didn't speak, Stiles found she slid her hand into his.

"What's wrong?" she asked him noticing how he was hardly able to stay focused.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Lyd. I was about to ask you the same thing... you look like you didn't sleep."

"I didn't, not after I woke up." Stiles raised his eyebrow at this, holding back a laugh at what she just said. "I mean, I fell asleep when I got home, but I woke back up, and after that I couldn't sleep. I couldn't get comfortable."

Stiles nodded, lightly... wondering if she might have remembered kissing him yesterday in the freezer. "Why?"

"I, I just felt like there was something missing last night. Like there was supposed to be someone there with me."

Stiles thought about how he was holding her when she fell asleep, and felt guilty. Was she thinking about him, was he the reason she couldn't sleep? "How come you didn't call Jackson or something?"

"That's just it, Stiles... he wasn't the one I felt needed to be there. Is that weird?" she asked, as Stiles felt his heart skip a beat. He nodded lightly, hoping she wouldn't notice that he was internally freaking out. "Yeah, I figured..."

"So, who did you feel needed to be there with you?"

She yawned lightly, as Stiles felt an overwhelming urgency to read those files and find Erica. He shouldn't be here with Lydia, not when Erica could be dying...

"I... I don't know, quite honestly." she admitted, laying her head on his shoulder. He could feel how heavy she was. She must have been exhausted... how she was still awake was beyond him. The exhaustion from being in the freezer must have been terrible on her, and the fact she had only slept an hour was the worst part of it. Her eyes were already growing heavy as she laid there against him. "H-hey, Stiles..." she sighed sleepily.

"Hmm?"

"Can I sleep here for a while?"

"Sure, Lyd." he smiled at her as she laid down on the bed. Stiles went to stand up when she grabbed his hand just barely. It was enough to stop him in his tracks as he turned to look at her.

"Can you, can you lay here with me until I fall asleep?" Lydia asked innocently like a child that had a nightmare.

Stiles wasn't sure why he said yes, but all he knew was that he ended up laying down beside her, and before he even knew it she had laid her head on his chest. Soon enough she was asleep as Stiles lightly rubbed her back. This shouldn't be happening. He shouldn't be the one to do this with Lydia. Jackson was her boyfriend, the one she loved. He was just a childhood crush to her. She was something entirely different to him, he would admit that, but as far as he was concerned, Lydia Martin was taken, and he was just Stiles Stilinski. He couldn't be with her, he couldn't hurt her like that.

For him, the idea of being with her was long dead... it died when he gained his powers. He couldn't be with her, because she would be in danger. Stiles carefully moved her off of him, and got to his feet. Stiles closed his eyes for a moment, partially wishing that he didn't have his powers... but he knew it was far too late for that. He grabbed a blanket and covered her up, before exiting the room. He went up to the attic, locking himself in to read the files. Lydia Martin or not, Stiles couldn't let Erica down.

* * *

Harris opened the freezer to find the shivering Erica, barely conscious looking up at him with fear. "It's alright..." he lifted her out of the freezer, as she passed out. "I'll have you stronger before you know it, and then you'll thank me."

* * *

 _"and then you'll thank me." the murderer smiled at him as the thirteen year old Harris shivered on the ground with multiple cuts on him, having been just brought out of a freezer._

 _"W-wh-why are y-you doing this?" he asked, fear and pain filling his voice as he shook. Cletus Kasady sat down beside him, smiling lightly._

 _"Would you believe that I'm doing this to make you better? To live a life where you have no fear... no pain? Your own free will?" Cletus asked looking at the kid._

 _"Own... free will?"_

 _"Yes, free will... trust me Adrian, buddy old pal. When I'm done, you'll be strong enough to have your own free will. But before you can become strong, you have to be broken down."_

 _"I just wanna go home."_

 _"You, you have no home, not yet..."_

* * *

Norman stepped into the lab with the vial of blood in hand, and decided it was time, time to try to fix himself. He wasn't going to let this disease destroy him anymore than what it already had.

"Otto... I need you to make the preparations..."

* * *

 ** _Hey guys, just wanted to give you a heads up. I split the sections of the book into episodes, therefore I'm calling Book One: Birth of a Hero... Season Zero. There are twelve episodes in Season Zero, and for reference here are the titles._**

 ** _1\. Powerless (Chapters 1-14)_**

 ** _2\. Cross Species (15-28)_**

 ** _3\. Psychopath(29-34)_**

 ** _4\. Scars (35-TBD)_**

 ** _5\. With Great Power (TBD)_**

 ** _6\. Comes Great Responsibility (TBD)_**

 ** _7\. S.H.I.E.L.D. (TBD)_**

 ** _8\. Homecoming (TBD)_**

 ** _9\. The Omega (TBD)_**

 ** _10\. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen (TBD)_**

 ** _11\. The Mastermind (TBD)_**

 ** _12\. Spider-Man (TBD)_**


	34. Killers

_Chapter Thirty-three: Killers_

* * *

 _I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to find Erica. I had faced death itself without being scared, yet... the fear I felt right then as I scanned through the files, I... I hadn't been that scared in a long time._

 _Something was compelling me to use every ounce of my energy to find her. I had to bring her home._

* * *

Stiles fumbled through the notes as night fell upon New York, and he came upon the final section of the files. His brain was processing this information like a sponge, and Stiles was trying to figure out a cure to the serum if needed. Stiles found that the serum, the one he had taken from Oscorp was unstable because it had to naturally be a part of the host's DNA. Much like a organ, it had to be accepted by the rest of it. He could see the formula in front of him as he grabbed a pen and began writing the cure to it. Stiles would have to inject the cure into Erica within ten minutes of the initial injection otherwise she would die, rapidly... and horrifically. The body excreted black fluid, as their skin turns pale. Soon enough the body just shuts down. Stiles couldn't let that happen.

He finished the cure and started the process of producing enough for one injection, before realizing he would need to get into Ryker's Island, without anyone knowing. Even with his father's help he wouldn't be able to get in there. Kasady was the most dangerous criminal without superhuman abilities in the entire prison, and he was in the part of the prison that was heavily guarded. Stiles would need a disguise, something to conceal his face. Stiles stood up, pulled some money out of his wallet, counting out until it reached fifty and sighed. It would have to be enough...

* * *

"Do you guys have spandex or lycra here?" Stiles asked, rubbing his hands together as he watched the fabric store clerk just eye him curiously.

"It's in the back." she said unconcerned with the teenager as he went to the back and found the large amount of fabrics. _Colors, colors... what should I pick. It's just a mask, right... put some sunglasses or something on to cover my eyes, and then we'll be good... hmm._

Stiles came upon a dark red fabric that caught his eye and he grabbed the roll, heading to the front of the store to pay for it.

Once he bought it, and got back home, he did the measurements, cut out the amount of fabric he needed, stitched it and all that fun stuff Stiles placed it on his head. He had two gaping holes that showed his face, and Stiles grabbed a pair of black sunglasses, placing them on his face as he placed a stocking cap on top of the makeshift mask. It wasn't fabulous, but for what he needed tonight, it would do just fine.

Getting on a jacket, Stiles climbed out the window, and made his way to Ryker's Island to have a chat with the monster known as Cletus Kasady.

* * *

 **Friday, August 31st**

* * *

Harris watched as Erica opened her eyes, having passed out from the pain he inflicted upon her a few hours ago. Who knew electricity could be so painful? He laughed at the thought as he pulled out a knife, laying it on the table, watching her curiously.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, weakly as Harris sighed.

"I told you, to make you stronger."

"I won't get... _stronger_ if I'm dead..." she hissed out at him, causing him to smile. Harris rubbed his hands together as he looked at that brick wall where Cora Hale was hidden.

"Oh, trust me... you won't die unless the brick wall doesn't hold up tonight."

Erica turned towards the wall, gulping nervously, unsure of what that monster was talking about. "Oh, you don't know do you... tonight's a full moon. And on the full moon, monsters come out to play."

The silence in the room became terrifying as Harris grabbed the knife. "And you know what, they love the smell of blood."

Before Erica could react, her blood was shed...

* * *

 ** _Ryker's Island_**

* * *

Stiles climbed into the prison through the sewers (a disturbing feat mind you) and climbed into the ventilation system as he moved closer and closer to the area of the prison where Kasady had to be. The more guards, the closer he was getting to it. Should he have checked the security system or something to find Kasady, sure, but he was in a hurry and he couldn't waste any more time.

He eventually dropped into a dark hallway, and at the very end there was dimly lit cell with a long haired man sitting on a bed, wearing a straitjacket. Stiles had the mask on tightly as he stepped in front of the cell, the man smiling at him.

"Oh how nice, I have a visitor... been a while since I had one of those." he chuckled lightly.

"I take it you're Cletus Kasady?"

"The one and only. To what do I owe the pleasure of my newly made acquaintance?" Kasady asked, his eyes lifeless. Stiles didn't answer for a moment and Kasady just laughed lightly. "Ah, I see... you're the silent type, hmm?"

"You know, for someone in a cell with no one else around, I would think a straitjacket wouldn't be needed."

"Hmm, do you know why I have this straitjacket on?" the maniac's voice called from the small cell as he stood up to look at Stiles, whose body never moved an inch. "They're afraid that if I was not restrained or blocked off from you, I would kill you. They're only half right, I would only kill you, if I wanted to. However, I've heard through the grape vine that you wanted to speak..."

"How did you know about that?"

"You hear rumors, about crimes similar to mine. It was only a matter of time before someone showed up. It's just luck that it's you my masked friend. So, tell me, what is it that you need to speak to the Carnage Killer for?"

Yes, that was Cletus Kasady's serial killer name, because his crimes were so horrific that some people couldn't be identified...

"There's someone killing a bunch of teenagers, leaving them in places to where it spells out the initials of Cletus Kasady, or the Carnage Killer. I want to know who would do that?"

"I'd say it would be someone who admires my work, but I would be lying, wouldn't I? You know something else, don't you?"

"At one of the scenes it said: If you want me... think, and find him... Obviously someone wanted to find you."

"Ah, so he's finally snapped, has he?"

"He? You know who this guy is, don't you?"

"You already know... I think you're not here to find out who he is, but rather why he's gone on a killing spree, isn't it? That's the thing that's bothering you. I can see it in your eyes, and you're desperate. He's taken someone you care about, hasn't he?"

"You're my only chance of finding him, Kasady. He's the only victim that you never killed, and something tells me you know how he thinks."

"It's not that, kid." Kasady smiled as his straitjacket loosened and he got up to the bars, grabbing them as his restraints hung loosely. "It's not that I know how he thinks, he knows how I think. He wants everyone to think I'm the killer, using my tricks... letting them know my playing card. So, little Adrian is your Identity Thief? If you convince me as to why I should help you, I will tell you anything you want to know, but I have a price."

"And what's that..."

"When you get Adrian, bring him to me... so he knows that he can't escape me, even though I'm behind bars."

"You're not going to kill him."

"I never intended to kill him in the first place, I merely wanted him to know the ultimate truth... Evil is created from the corruption of innocence..."

"Okay, you want Harris... you've got him. He's got the person I love and he's going to kill her. I know you love a woman by the name of Frances Louise Barrison, or as her new name is, Sandra Deel... you know what it's like to fear losing the person you love. If you don't help me, I'm going to make sure you know what it's like to lose the person you care about most."

"Oh, so he's on the verge of creating a new killer... goodie. I will tell you this, as a warning... if you lay a finger on her, you won't have to worry about finding me, I'll find you, and then I'll make you know what all of those girls went through, and worse."

"I wouldn't make threats, Kasady." Stiles grabbed the bars and Kasady watched with intrigue as the metal bent underneath Stiles's hands. "You don't know who or what I am..."

"No, but I'm getting a better idea, and it's going to be fun breaking you one of these days... but a deal is a deal, I'll tell you everything about Adrian Harris, and how he became the Identity Thief."


	35. Victims

_Chapter Thirty-four: Victims_

* * *

 ** _1996_**

* * *

 _Adrian Harris hadn't expected it when it happened. He had just left home, on his way to school when he was grabbed by that monster. One moment he was a normal thirteen year old boy, and the next, he was damaged._

 _For months he was missing, four to be exact. Nobody could find him, and for four long excruciating months, he was taken to the brink of death and back, all thanks to Cletus Kasady._

 _So much pain, so much... 'fun' he experienced, and yet his torture would never end._

 _When he woke up, he was in a dark basement and he didn't even know where he was. He cried out for his mom, his dad... anyone that might have heard him. Nobody did._

* * *

 _"Please, why are you doing this?" Adrian asked as the twenty year old Cletus Kasady sat on the stairs in the basement smiling wickedly at him._

 _"Oh, why should I tell you and ruin the fun? The mystery is what makes this so much better..."_

 _"I-I just want to go home..." he cried out, tears running down his bruised face. Kasady pursed his lips for a moment and just looked at the ceiling where chains hung loosely with hooks hanging._

 _"No, you're not going anywhere. Here's what's going to happen, Adrian... that's your name right, Adrian?" the young boy nodded nervously. "I'm going to make you experience the worst pain you have ever felt, starting with those hooks..."_

 _Adrian looked at the hooks and gulped heavily as Kasady stepped down into the basement and lowered the hooks._

 _"No, no, no, no... please no!" Harris screamed as Kasady grabbed him by the back of his shirt, and threw him onto the hooks, piercing his shoulders._

 _"Fresh meat, anyone?" Kasady smiled menacingly as Harris succumbed to the pain and blacked out._

* * *

 _There's a gag over his mouth and a cloth over his eyes. He can't move his hands or his feet but when he tries, he can feel the painful bite of ropes against his tender skin. The clothes he was wearing when he'd been taken are no longer on his body and the concrete beneath his body is frigid. It's cold wherever he is, the air enough to make him shiver. As soon as he'd woken up, groggy and disoriented, he'd struggled, screamed, and writhed on the floor._

 _Time was passing so slowly to him, that seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, hours like days, and so forth. In fact he didn't know how long he had been here. The first thing he knew was how quiet it was. He was only in his underwear at this point, and Adrian couldn't be anymore scared._

 _The young man that had taken him had put him through hell and back hadn't been there recently, but Harris was just glad he wasn't being hurt anymore. The wounds on his shoulders from the hooks were almost healed, but the countless other wounds he had been given were still fresh. Knives, nails, hammers, crowbars, jumper cables, ice baths, and so much more was the instruments of torture Kasady used, and he was just so weak that he wanted to go home._

 _He tried to loosen his bonds, cry out for help, anything that would give him a little more control but after who knows how long his screams became sobs, his struggles became twitches, and his cries became whimpers. He doesn't know how long he laid there, listening for something, anything, but there wasn't anything to listen to. There were echoes on close walls from his cries which indicated a small, empty room but other than that he had no idea where he was. Harris had been moved around so much he just couldn't tell what was up and what was down it was to that point._

 _There were phases of temperament he went through as he thought about his predicament. There was fear, then panic, then anger, and after a long time, determination, but eventually he became exhausted, and back to fear it went. He's hungry, weak, and he's pretty sure he's going to die here. Eventually though, the blindfold is removed and he sees Kasady hooking up wires to a fence. Harris felt fear rush over him as Kasady picked him up and placed him on the fence, using handcuffs to put him up on the fence. Harris hung with his head down as Kasady sat down._

 _"Man, you lasted longer than anyone else kid. I'm honestly shocked. I've decided I'm not done with you. You're more like me than I thought. Originally I just wanted to kill you, but man... you're just too much fun."_

 _"Let me go home, please..." he cried out, missing his parents as tears ran down his face once more._

 _"Let me think about it... um... NOPE!" he cackled as he pressed a button activating the electricity that shocked the teenager as the metal burned his skin and Adrian screamed at the top of his lungs. "Oh, do you smell barbecue?"_

* * *

 _"I know you're not happy with me, but you'll be stronger soon enough. I'll make you to be like me, you'll be so much better off, and then you'll thank me." Kasady smiled at him as Harris shivered on the ground with multiple cuts on him, having been just brought out of the freezer._

 _"W-wh-why are y-you doing this?" he asked, fear and pain filling his voice as he shook. Kasady sat down beside him, smiling lightly. To be completely honest, he wasn't sure anymore. At one point the desire to kill the kid just went away, replaced with the need to change him, to make him more like he was... **pure.**_

 _"Would you believe that I'm doing this to make you better? To live a life where you have no fear... no, pain? Your own free will?" Cletus asked, looking at the kid._

 _"Own... free will?" he coughed out as Kasady nodded._

 _"Yes, free will... trust me Adrian, buddy old pal. When I'm done, you'll be strong enough to have your own free will. But before you can become strong, you have to be broken down."_

 _"I just wanna go home." Adrian whimpered as Kasady put his hand on his shoulder, the one kind gesture he had given Harris during his time here._

 _"You, you have no home, not yet... when I'm done, you will. I promise you. The pain will stop."_

* * *

 _And soon the pain did stop, even though the injuries kept coming. Adrian's cries stopped, and he just let the attacks come. There was no fighting it anymore, in fact he just smiled whenever Kasady showed up. No words, just a smile. Kasady had to admit it was surprising when the switch just flipped. It was like the kid was begging him to hurt him._

 _Who was he to deny that wish?_

 _Then, one day though, Kasady wasn't able to attack him anymore. One day Officer John Stilinski came through that door and stopped him, and saved the kid. At least, that's what the public would think. If anything he had done the worst possible thing in Harris' case. Kasady was the only one that knew what was brewing inside Harris's mind. Harris was going to turn into him... a killer._

* * *

 ** _2006_**

* * *

 _Harris was a teacher at Midtown High now, having tried to move on from the Kasady trouble all those years ago. He figured teaching kids would help him move on. Harris was wrong._

 _Graduation was right around the corner, and so the Seniors planned a 'prank' on him, with Camden Lahey at the front and center._

 _Camden wasn't Harris's favorite student to put it in a light sense but he was a student and Harris needed to have faith in him. That was one of the few choices Harris made that he regretted deeply when he came to school that last day of school. As class was let out, Harris found his car trashed, and he was humiliated beyond forgiveness. It was only made worse when one of the students asked how it was to be Kasady's 'torture toy.'_

 _So, Harris snapped. He had tried to not do it, but they pushed him beyond his limit. For nearly ten years he had fought the memories, the urges he got from that pain. But when Lahey trashed his car, and the teenager just so happened to hit him with spit balls from across the room, making him the laughing stock of the class, Harris just... let go._

 _Harris stepped into the parking lot that night, watching Camden walking towards his car. With his hood over his head he followed him. With a crowbar he had **borrowed** from the Area Career Center he crept closer to Camden._

 _"Mr. Lahey, I believe we need to talk about the consequences of your actions..." he hissed out, coldly and yet emotional at the same time if that made sense._

 _Camden began to turn around with a cocky smile on his face only to be hit with the crowbar right on the back of his head. Harris watched the red liquid flow from the open head wound, and just like that the urge for more took him, and he hit him again. Then again, and again, until Lahey was nothing but a bloodied corpse._

 _Of course, that's not how they found him. Harris had studied everything about Cletus Kasady, and he made the scene look just like one of Kasady's masterpieces. Harris would never tell anyone, but the moment he pierced Camden's skull was when Kasady's voice began urging him to kill._

 _There were moments where he fought it, hurting himself in the process. But, he wasn't able to keep the urges away... it was insatiable._

* * *

 ** _2012_**

* * *

 _Harris felt the urge come back in class one day at the end of May right before school let out for the summer when he saw Stiles Stilinski and his girlfriend Erica Reyes sit down. Stilinski was the only person he hadn't killed, even when he had wanted to so many times. However, he felt there was a better way. To make Stilinski suffer more than he ever had. He planned on killing Erica to make him suffer._

 _Then, when he took her in July, he saw something in her. The same fear that he had when Kasady had him. He wasn't sure why it changed, but he chose to spare her, and make her stronger._

 _However, Erica escaped when he was too lenient and let her go around the house. He had chosen it because it was fitting... it was his beginning, so it would be hers as well. This was the house where Kasady tortured Harris when he was thirteen. Harris vowed to get her, one way... or another._

* * *

 _It was beautiful to see the aftermath. Stiles still had his heart broken when Erica broke up with him, to protect him. What he hadn't accounted on was the teenager investigating the murders. The murders were merely because they had gotten in the way._

 _Derek Hale had gotten in the way, and that's why he had taken Cora. That look, he had given her was not that of a former boyfriend, no... it was that of a werewolf protecting the runt. That runt, was going to become something better than any human could achieve naturally._

 _As long as Stiles Stilinski didn't get in the way, it would end the way it needed to._

* * *

 _Present Day._

* * *

Stiles's eyes grew wide as he realized where Harris was holding Erica, and he reached in the cell to shake Kasady's hand.

"So that's where he is... where you tortured him. I need the address."

"Of course..." the man wrote down the address, and as Stiles thought of the address, he realized there was something else about the murders. It all circled the house Harris was tortured in. "Now, bring him to me..." Kasady hissed, as the masked teenager nodded.

"He'll be here sooner than you think." Stiles nodded racing off, and as he got out of the prison a few minutes later, he ripped the mask off, prepared for a fight with Harris, but he needed to wait until the serum and the cure were done. He had to wait until that night... with the full moon hanging over the city.

* * *

 **END OF EPISODE THREE**


	36. Checkmate

_Chapter Thirty-five: Checkmate_

* * *

 ** _EPISODE FOUR: SCARS_**

* * *

Stiles never came to school that day, and Lydia couldn't be more worried. She had known something was wrong with him that afternoon when she stopped at his place. He had been focused on something else, even in the middle of that conversation. Lydia didn't want to think about what kind of problem Stiles might have gotten himself into this time, but she just felt this wasn't like an argument with a bully, no... this was something different and she just didn't know what it was.

When she woke up, he was gone and she didn't even get to say goodbye to him. Lydia was so busy looking around for him in the building she didn't even notice they had a substitute teacher in Harris's place. Apparently both of them had taken a sick day.

As she walked through the hall, arriving at Stiles' locker hoping to see him there, she came to see that Scott was there, already having beat her to the punch.

"Hey, Lydia. Have you seen Stiles today? He never came to Geometry today." Scott asked with that concerned puppy look he did way too well.

"No, that's why I came here... I thought maybe he might have been late or something."

"Did you talk to him last night or anything? I haven't talked to him in a few days, so I don't know what's going on with him."

Lydia thought about the conversation she had with Stiles last night, and Wednesday when he came to the Tower and helped out.

"I saw him yesterday at his house. He seemed a bit off, like there was something on his mind. I asked him what was wrong but he said I didn't need to worry about it. I'm starting to get the feeling I needed to." she admitted reluctantly as Scott grabbed his phone and checked to see if Stiles ever messaged him back.

 _Nothing, that's seriously not like Stiles. Usually he would at least message back._

Scott knew there was something going on with Stiles, and it pained him to not know what that was. He was supposed to be best friends with him, yet Stiles had gone silent on him.

* * *

 _Stilinski Household_

* * *

Stiles sighed as he looked at the phone hearing it vibrate a few times. His eyes had been on the cure all night, that he hadn't even registered it was day time and he had missed nearly half of the school day. He didn't mind it though, he missed literally all of yesterday, so what was the point of worrying about it.

* * *

 _SCOTT (3)_

* * *

 _8:20 A.M._

* * *

 **Where are you at?**

* * *

 _10:02 A.M._

* * *

 **Hello?**

* * *

 _1:17 P.M._

* * *

 **Are you okay, Stiles?**

* * *

Stiles typed back finally after nearly five hours of dead silence, longer if Lydia was involved.

* * *

 _1:19 P.M._

* * *

 _I'm fine, Scotty. I've just got some stuff going on. I'll explain when I get the chance to, when this is all said and done. Sorry, I just don't want anyone else being involved with this right now. I'll talk to you soon, I promise._

* * *

Stiles to Lydia:

* * *

 _Hey, sorry about last night. You came to talk and I was kind of focused on something important. I didn't mean to make you feel like you were a bother, if I did I'm sorry. I just need to take a bit and think about some things, and then if you still need to talk, I'll be here._

* * *

Stiles hated to not tell them what was going on, he really did but right now he needed to focus on saving Erica and stopping Harris. So, he was going to push them away, just for now until Erica was safe...

He watched the timer, five hours left. Sometimes he hated how old his lab tech was to be completely honest.

* * *

 _7:00 P.M._

* * *

The buzzer went off, signalling the cure's completion and Stiles sprung into action, grabbing the vial, and the Lycan Serum, before rushing out the door, leaving his mask there in the lab. Now was not the time for masks, there was no time. All that mattered was that he got there in time to save Erica... and bring Harris to justice.

He dialed his father's number knowing he was still at work. Stiles growled when it went to voicemail and put his phone in his pocket, racing as quickly as he could through Queens on foot, racing towards the Queensboro Bridge.

His feet were barely touching the ground as he sped past cars, his red hoodie flailing in the wind. Stiles raced onto the road, using a car as a step as he leaped off of the bridge, turning his web shooters on. One shot to the bottom of the bridge and Stiles went swinging down onto the streets of Manhattan.

Stiles was moving so quickly he didn't even realize that he ran past Jackson and Lydia who were in a car he jumped over.

"What the hell was that?!" Jackson asked, turning around to see the figure in red and blue, only catching a glimpse as it ran around the corner disappearing into the city.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, was extremely fast." Lydia exhaled, having been startled. She didn't even realize that she had grabbed onto her spider necklace as the figure came into sight.

* * *

Stiles raced into the borders of Hell's Kitchen, grabbing his phone once more. It was now nearing eight o' clock. The sun would be going down soon, and that was when Stiles had to strike, he just had to.

He dialed his father's number once more as he neared the house, sliding to a stop. Ring, ring, ring... it almost seemed like there was going to be no answer.

"H-hello?" Stilinski answered. "Stiles, is everything alright?"

"Dad, I know who the Identity Thief is, it's Adrian Harris. He has Erica..."

"What? Where are you?"

"Uh... you're not going to like this, but I'm at the house he's holding Erica at. It's the same house Cletus Kasady tortured him at. Trace my phone if you have to, just get here quickly!" Stiles ordered, dropping his phone into the grass.

"Stiles? Stiles!" Stilinski called out as Stiles stepped towards the front door as he watched the setting sun.

 _Checkmate, Harris..._

* * *

The teenager cracked his knuckles as he kicked the door in, knocking it right off of the hinges. A loud bang echoed throughout the house as Stiles used his Spider Sense to search for Harris. He was downstairs in the basement, just as he had suspected. He leaped onto the wall, and flew down into the dark basement. His fingers clung to the ceiling like glue, and Stiles could see Harris standing at a mirror as Erica laid on a table, her face bloody and bruises speckled over her exposed skin.

Opera music blasted through the basement, making Stiles realize Harris hadn't heard the door breaking.

His stomach turned upside down at the sight and he dropped down, as his eyes turned pitch black and he clenched his fists tightly. Stiles moved forward, as Harris turned around. Before he could even react, Stiles grabbed him by the throat. Harris had only one emotion on his face as Stiles slammed him against the wall, and that was satisfaction.

"I told you I'd find you..."

"Oh believe me, I was counting on it..." Harris smiled menacingly as Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off. Harris threw his arm out, holding a syringe, presumably full of that sedative crap. Stiles used his other hand to grab it, and smashed the syringe into the floor.

"Not this time..." Stiles spun around, throwing Harris down the hallway and into the brick wall, shattering it. As Harris laid on the ground, covered in debris he just smiled coyly at him.

"What are you... Stilinski?" he laughed lightly.

"I'm better than you... that's what I am." Stiles hissed coldly as he looked at Erica. Her breaths were shallow and spread apart far longer than they should have been. He pulled the Lycan Serum out and injected it into Erica's arm as Harris stumbled to his feet, coughing out a small amount of blood.

"You won't get her out of here..."

"Oh, and why is that?" Stiles asked, as Harris looked over at a spot behind the brick wall.

"Because, I have one trick left to play. Don't you remember Ms. Hale? What's tonight Mr. Stilinski?"

"It's a... oh no...it's a full moon." Stiles gulped as through the remains of the brick wall came a wolfed out Cora, as Harris smiled menacingly in the background.

"You won't be getting out of here alive..."

Stiles couldn't even move before Cora was upon him...


	37. Adrian Harris and Stiles Stilinski

_Chapter Thirty-six: Adrian Harris and Stiles Stilinski_

* * *

 _Whoa, holy crap! I didn't expect this when I showed up trying to be a hero. Now I'm just a few inches from being mauled by a she-wolf. That's just cute, Stiles... you idiot! At least I have ten minutes to inject the cure into Erica... that'll be enough time to take Cora through obedience school, right? Oh god, I'm making dog jokes, that can't be good._

* * *

Stiles rolled out of the way of Cora's claws as the werewolf slammed into the wall. Harris laughed in the background as Stiles stood up wiping the sweat off of his forehead. "I felt the breeze off of that!"

She growled as Stiles watched the werewolf turn, her yellow eyes glowing through the dark basement. Stiles felt his eyes turn pitch black and he smiled menacingly.

"Heel..." he growled with his voice sounding slightly demonic before Cora launched at him. This time he couldn't move, and instead took the full force of the hit. It sent him crashing into the wall, and Cora slashed at his face. Stiles grabbed her by the wrists and kicked her back to where he could get out of the wall. As Stiles was dealing with Cora, Harris ducked past, grabbing the unconscious Erica and took her upstairs to avoid the bloodshed that was sure to come.

Stiles felt his heart beating slower, as his body calmed and with it so did his mind. The world began moving in slow motion and Stiles could anticipate every single one of Cora's attacks. He blocked the attacks with his arms, and punched her in the stomach as hard as he could without fatally injuring her, sending her flying back a few feet each time.

"Cora, fight it!" he pleaded, as she got a little too close cutting his face. Stiles winced in pain as Cora licked his blood off of her claws. "Oh boy... that's not good."

He immediately thought of something that he hated to do, but it was all he could think of at the moment. As bad as it sounded, he needed to make her experience a great deal of pain.

 _Okay, Cora... let's hope your healing factor is way better than mine..._

Stiles watched as she threw a punch, using all of her weight behind it. He grabbed her fist in his palm, and closed his eyes tightly as he squeezed. Stiles felt the bones crush behind his fingers and she screamed. He grabbed her other arm and broke it, while he shot a web onto her leg and pulled her down to the ground. Cora couldn't move quickly enough as he jumped up and clasped his fists together, coming down to hit her in the face. Stiles knew she was knocked out immediately, but he felt white hot pain excreting from his stomach, and as he looked down he found her claws dug into his flesh.

 _Oh, that's my blood... that's a lot of my blood._

He coughed as her claws retracted and her arms fell to the floor. Stiles held his side and looked at the clock. There was only four minutes left before it was too late for him to save Erica. Speaking of which he looked to see that both of them were gone.

"NO!" Stiles growled, running weakly up the stairs as his Spider Sense buzzed in the back of his head. His eyes grew wide as he leaned his head back just in time to dodge a knife that would have surely killed him if he hadn't moved. The knife lodged itself in the wall and Stiles turned to see Harris holding two more knives in his hands. "Let her go... please."

"No, I'm afraid I can't do that Stiles. There's more to you than meets the eye... you beat a werewolf."

"You beat a werewolf, and you're just a psychotic Chemistry teacher. It's whatever..." Stiles grunted as blood seeped onto his hand from the wounds on his stomach. Harris smiled at the sight. "You say you won't touch me because my father saved you from Kasady all those years ago, right? This is what it's really about, you and me... Adrian Harris, and Stiles Stilinski."

"I didn't do this for you... you're just icing on the cake."

"Please, you killed Tracy to make me suffer. Made Erica break up with me... planted that necklace on Jackson. Everything you've done for over a month has been to make me suffer. I might not have been the first, maybe not even the last... but I am the reason you have Erica now. It's the reason you sent Cora after me... you want to break me, because you can't kill me. You can't kill me because of your oath you made to my father, you feel obligated. He's not here... he can't stop you from killing me. I'm telling you, right now... you want to kill me, you've got your shot. Come and kill me, right now... because I guarantee if you don't manage to kill me, I'm going to make sure you wish you were dead for everything you've done. So take your shot."

Stiles clenched his fists tightly standing up straight as Harris ran at him. It all went in slow motion as Stiles pushed himself forward, slamming into Harris and sent them flying through the door into a kitchen. Stiles was glad he had knocked the knives out of Harris' hands as he grabbed Harris by the collar of his gray jacket, and dragged him through cabinets, shattering them into millions of pieces.

As Harris fell to the ground Stiles aimed his web shooters, firing four shots onto his hands and feet, making him get stuck to the floor. Stiles knelt down, grabbing Harris by his shirt, lifting him up just enough to where their eyes met.

"Do it..." Harris hissed at him. "Do it, kill me..."

Stiles wanted to, oh how he wanted to kill Harris right here and right now for what he had done to everyone he cared about, and to the countless people he had murdered over the past six years.

He had his fist raised to do so, but he took a breath and lowered his hand. "No, I'm not like you... I'm not a murderer. I know where to draw the line... you deserve to die in my eyes, but that's not my choice to make. I can't be judge, jury, and executioner. If I try to be, I'm no better than you. You'll get what you deserve, after all... someone wants to see you a lot. Tell him I said hi..." Stiles knocked him out as sirens echoed in the background. He looked at his watch, and found there was one minute left. His Spider Sense told him he was only a few feet away from her, as she was stored in the closet.

Pulling the cure out of his pocket, thankfully not broken by his fight with Cora, he ran to the closet, pulling Erica out and injected her with it. She was still injured, enough to go to the hospital, but her injuries were too severe to heal within ten minutes. The internal damage received would hopefully be healed enough to where she would live. Stiles brought her into a hug, tears running down his face.

As the sirens grew closer Stiles picked Erica up in his arms as her eyes slowly opened. "St-Stiles?"

"Hey..."

"Is it, is it really you?"

"Of course it is, I would never let anything happen to you. Can you walk?"

Erica nodded, as he stood her up, and he turned to the kitchen where Harris was. "He won't hurt you anymore, I promise... just get outside, I'll be there in a moment."

She once again nodded, walking weakly towards the broken door as Stiles grabbed the unconscious serial killer and dragged him outside. Police cars now parked outside, ambulances following as Stiles caught sight of news reporters, and... students from Midtown High. They must have seen something on the news. Stiles could see Scott in the crowd, his eyes wide with fear as the teenager dropped Harris, holding his stomach lightly.

In the crowd, Tracy's boyfriend, Carter Steel stood with tears in his eyes as he saw the man responsible for her murder be brought to justice... along with him Flash Thompson stood, and Gerald Roberts, the father of Sara Roberts... they all saw Stiles for something different tonight... they saw a hero.

* * *

Harris was taken into custody... currently in route to jail. Stiles watched as they pulled Cora out on a gurney, taking her into the back of an ambulance to go to the hospital. Erica had been taken too as she wasn't out of the woods yet. Stilinski had arrived the same time everyone else had, pulling him into a tight hug.

"What were you thinking?!" Stilinski cried out, as Stiles lowered his head into his father's neck. "I can't lose you kiddo."

"You didn't... and Dad, I couldn't just stand there and let her die... I couldn't. Punish me if you want, just give me this one, please."

"Oh you got it..." Stilinski squeezed tighter, as Stiles hid his pain. "I'm so proud of you."

Stiles' eyes grew wide at that statement. For once in his life, Stiles truly felt the way he had when he saved Erica from drowning. He actually felt like a hero. He wasn't invisible, he wasn't just puny, weak, Stiles Stilinski anymore. It felt like he had just started living.

"Do you think Mom would be proud of me?"

"I would certainly think so, son."

He looked up towards the sky, hoping Claudia was looking down on him, proud of who he was becoming.

* * *

 _This was only the start. After tonight, I would start my transformation into the hero that New York City would come to know as Spider-Man. But, here's the thing... when it comes to superhero stories, there's always one thing that seems to be in common. The hero, loses someone they love._

 _Tonight was the only good night I had where Stiles Stilinski got the spotlight. As soon as the sun came up, that would change. My life was finally coming together, and all it would take, is a bullet to shatter it._

 _A bullet, a werewolf, and a bank robbery. That was what it would take for me to become Spider-Man... I just didn't realize it._


	38. The Hero's Curse

_Chapter Thirty-seven: The Hero's Curse_

* * *

 ** _THE IDENTITY THIEF IN CUSTODY._**

* * *

 _That was the first thing that went across every single news platform in Manhattan was that line. The official report would be that police officers rescued a young man, (me) and two girls that were captured by Harris. This was because they didn't want it to be known that I had taken police files and took the law into my own hands to find him. Dad also was placed on suspension for a week because of his actions in which helped me find the Identity Thief. It didn't matter though, there were enough students there at the scene that the truth was out there. The truth was I saved Erica Reyes and Cora Hale from Harris. I fought the Identity Thief and won. That was what people would know come morning._

 _I figured Dad would be a lot angrier with me over the incident, but he was genuinely happy that I had managed to save the lives of not one, but two people. I got justice for all of Harris' victims. I couldn't lie if I wanted to over how happy I was. Police kept me at the scene to check out my wounds, (thankfully they weren't too extensive because they just patched me up, not realizing how deep the claw marks had been) and also to get my statement. I told them what had happened. That I found out who Harris really was, and came here to see if Erica was here. Called Dad because I was afraid, and then that was when he attacked me. I managed to take him down, and that was when the cops showed up. I couldn't just explain that I had superhuman powers and that I fought a werewolf down in the basement and all that insane stuff. Probably be put into a mental asylum, or I'd get put on a dissecting table. Either way, that wasn't happening._

 _All I know was, the chaos that surrounded the Identity Thief wasn't over. He might be behind bars, but the chaos of cleaning everything up, was just beginning._

* * *

Stiles wasn't sure how long he was outside that house getting patched up, but when he finished he was greeted by Scott who hugged him tightly, a little too tightly if Stiles had to say anything.

"Dude, are you okay?"

"Well, nothing a few weeks won't heal, other than that I'm fine. Sorry I wasn't talking earlier."

Scott nodded, looking at the house. "Was it because of this?"

"Yeah, I didn't want anyone being dragged into this mess... I found out who Harris really was two days ago. That's why I didn't go to school on Thursday." Stiles explained, hoping that Scott wouldn't try to pry too much.

"Stiles, you could have died, you realize that right? We thought you were in trouble and you wouldn't tell us what was going on."

"Scott, I _couldn't_ tell you what was going on. If it leaked out who he was before I found Erica, he would have killed her, I'm sure of it. I didn't want to risk losing her." Stiles sighed, as Scott sat down beside him.

"Oh. You did the right thing then, even if it was stupid on your part. Just, don't shut me out, okay?" Scott smiled, as he watched news vans pull up. Tonight was going to be a long night.

"Okay."

"Is Erica okay?" Scott inquired after a few moments of silence. Stiles nodded, smiling lightly.

"I got here in time. He was about to hurt her again when I got here. I did what I had to do. Fought like hell."

"Am I supposed to believe you fought Harris and overpowered him? Who are you, Battlin' Jack Murdock?" Scott laughed sourly, remembering the famous boxer that had died after a match years ago. Nobody knew who had killed him at the time, but an anonymous tip came through a few years ago, and a gangster was arrested for the murder.

"No, in truth I just caught him by surprise. Broke a couple cabinets in the process. I might have taken it a bit farther than needed to be honest. I'm just glad I found her, Scott. I don't know what I would do if she... you know." Stiles sighed, not wanting to think about that possible outcome.

"Stiles, do you know why Harris took her?"

Stiles didn't want to answer, but figured it was best that he told Scott. He couldn't shut him out completely, but he could hide the part about the werewolves and the super power bit. "Yeah, he wanted to make her turn into something like him..." and so Stiles explained what happened to Harris, and why he took Erica. Stiles explained how he figured it out, and got here to save Erica.

He also explained that he needed to clarify some things, not specifying that he was about to let go of someone he cared about.

* * *

 _They say that heroes never get the girl. Because their lives are too dangerous for that. I guess I figured that out when Lydia was targeted, and now with Erica having nearly died... I guess they were right. I suppose it's a curse I have to live with... I have to let Erica go, to protect her..._

* * *

 **Saturday, September 1st**

* * *

The hospital was always a sore spot for Stiles, it was where he had lost his mother. He didn't like coming here because of that very reason, but he had to see Erica. It had been on his mind ever since she had been taken away in that ambulance. Something had been bothering him from the very beginning. It was something that he told Harris during their confrontation.

As he stepped into her room, he found her awake, laying in bed, looking as beautiful as ever, sure, a little damaged, but beautiful nevertheless.

"Hey you..." Erica smiled at him as he knocked on the wall.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, sitting down beside her in a chair.

"Sore, scared... nothing a bit of rest and years of therapy won't fix, hopefully."

 _She's like me in that aspect. No wonder I liked her._ Stiles smiled weakly, his smile turning to a frown as he came to the subject he had been focusing on. She grabbed his hand, but Stiles unconsciously pulled away.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I think for the first time in a long time I am. Erica, Harris told me why you broke up with me. It was because you wanted to protect me. I thought it was something to do with me, that I had done something to you, but I was wrong. I just, I just wish you had hinted at what was going on sooner."

"Stiles, I couldn't tell you then. He told me he'd kill you if he even suspected I told you anything."

Stiles nodded, but the words that he was about to say were going to set him on a path, one without her.

"Erica, I don't know what you might be thinking, but... this," he motioned at the two of them. "us, it can't happen. The only reason Harris came after you in the first place was to hurt me. It took me until tonight to see that. I don't want to be the reason you get hurt, or worse, killed."

"Stiles, I..."

"Just, please listen. Guys like me, we make enemies, sometimes powerful enemies. That puts the ones we love in danger. I can't put that on you, I just can't. I don't want you waiting for me to come around."

"I know, how can I compete with Lydia Martin?" she asked with a coy smile, obviously not upset by his words.

"What?" he asked, shocked by her statement.

"Stiles, please... I know you still have feelings for her. I'd be dumb if I didn't see that every time you look at her."

"I can't exactly be with her, either. She has a boyfriend."

"So, does that stop you from telling her how you really feel? Literally everyone but Lydia knows how much you really care about her, Stiles."

"Hmm, kind of like you and Flash?" he laughed, causing a weird look from her. "Oh, so it IS like that."

"Okay, Flash Thompson does not have a crush on me."

"Oh my god, he totally does. Erica, the day you had a seizure in class, he never left your side. In fact he's been extremely protective of you for a long time. He thought that scar on your arm, was from me. That's why he's been at my throat for a while now, is because of that. And, I know it's weird to say, considering it's Flash of all people, but you should give him a chance. Who knows, maybe you'll make a good guy out of him."

"Yeah, who knows..."

"After all, I think he's waited on you a lot longer than either of us know."

"So, we're... we're done?"

"Yeah, we're done Erica." he sighed weakly, leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead. "Now, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, you have some people who want to see you."

"And you've got a redhead to go see, right?" she winked as Stiles just smiled.

"Strawberry blonde..." Stiles said as he left, stopping in the doorway. "Bye, Erica."

"Bye, Stiles."

Stiles left the hospital, feeling a weight lifted off of his chest. He would have went to see Cora, but knowing how Derek was, chances were they already were out of the hospital and home, celebrating Cora's safe return. On his way out, he bumped into Flash, who brought him into a hug, telling him thank you for protecting Erica. It was then that Stiles knew that he cared about Erica in the same way he had.

"Take care of her, Flash."

Flash nodded, and Stiles patted him on the shoulder, before taking his leave.

* * *

Lydia heard the knock on her door as she laid back on the couch. She raised her eyebrow, curious as to who would be showing up at two o'clock in the morning. Getting up and strolling to the door, she was surprised to find Stiles standing there with his head lowered slightly. Lydia had heard the news, Scott had called her and let her know what had happened, and before Stiles could even react she was in his arms, hugging him tighter than even Scott had.

"You are certifiably insane, you know that right?" she asked looking up at him. Stiles chuckled, nodding lightly as she pulled him inside.

"I've been told that a few times tonight, yeah."

"What are you doing here?"

"You came to the house the other night, talking about how you didn't understand why you weren't able to sleep right, and I wasn't focused on the conversation because of what was going on with Erica. I didn't want you thinking that I was ignoring your feelings. In fact, it's why I came partially. To see if you wanted to talk, and another because I think my Dad might put me on house arrest for what I did." he explained, sitting down on the couch with Lydia.

"My Mom's in bed, so you can stay here if you want. I was just about to watch a movie." she offered, to which he nodded thankfully.

"What movie?"

"Um..." she trailed off nervously, as Stiles' eyes fell upon the movie stand. He laughed at the sight of only one movie.

"You only own the Notebook?" he asked with surprise, as she blushed out of embarrassment. _Jesus... I need to get you hooked up... you're missing out._ "It's fine, that's, that's perfect."

He yawned as Lydia started the movie, and grabbed a blanket bringing it back over to him. The adrenaline he had felt the past few days had finally worn off and he felt utterly drained. Lydia sat down beside him, and the moment she did Stiles realized something.

"My pillow..."

"Hmm?" she asked, having not heard his whisper.

"My pillow, I don't have my pillow."

"Oh," she had completely forgotten that Stiles couldn't sleep without the pillow his mother had used before she died. The night his mother died Stiles fell asleep with it and became attached to the pillow. Lydia felt bad for not even thinking about it.

Stiles knew he wasn't going to fall asleep, unless he was knocked out, and that wasn't happening so he just laid back and figured he'd try to stay up until morning when it was safe to go home.

As the movie played, he eventually found that Lydia had fallen asleep. He stood up, pulling the blanket over Lydia to keep her warm. Stiles thought to himself that perhaps Erica was right, that it would be better if he told Lydia how he felt, but then he thought back to how everything that had happened in the past month had led to this moment. The moment he got that spider bite was when everything started going downhill. Lydia had almost died because she was close to him, if he told her, and she actually reciprocated those feelings, he didn't want to take that chance.

However, he just couldn't bring himself to leave the apartment, even with those thoughts running through his head. He owed her an explanation, and while it wouldn't be the one he wanted to give, it would be the one with the least repercussions. So, he sat down on the couch and watched the rest of the movie.

Watching the end, he thought about his mother and tears ran down his face. Lydia's eyes fluttered open as she looked up to see the tears running down Stiles's face. Sitting up, she adjusted herself to where she was leaned back against him, and her head resting on his shoulder. Stiles and Lydia didn't exchange any words as the movie went to credits, but it was safe to say that no words were needed in that moment. Stiles closed his eyes, and even though he didn't have his pillow with him, he fell asleep with Lydia in his arms... Lydia would stay awake for a while, wondering why it felt like they had been in a position similar to this not too long ago.

* * *

Laura opened her eyes as Cora laid beside her, having never left her side that night after leaving the hospital to find Derek was gone, and the front door was wide open.

* * *

Derek stepped into the parking structure holding a bag of the purple vials containing the Lycan Serum, as a man with green skin stepped out of a van.

"Good work... now, get into the van... we have a big job to do." the green skinned man smiled sincerely as Derek nodded, getting into the van, where a man with frosted hair sat. It was the very same man that had robbed the wrestling event Stiles had entered in.

"Why do you need me for what's coming?" Derek asked, as the man chuckled.

"Because, you never know who might try to play hero."

* * *

 **END OF EPISODE FOUR**


	39. The Calm before the Storm

_Chapter Thirty-eight: The Calm before the Storm_

* * *

 ** _EPISODE FIVE: WITH GREAT POWER_**

* * *

 _September 1st was the day that people would end up celebrating for a while. How the Identity Thief was caught after his "month" of killing innocent women. Their reaction to how many people Harris had really killed over the years made it worse. They acted like things were going to be the fabled happy ending in a movie. The hero stopped the bad guy, recovery, and then bam, just a happy ending._

 _I was caught up in that belief too, after the past few weeks I had gone through, things were actually looking up. How was I supposed to know at the time that whenever one darkness ends, another is right on the horizon? That night I spent with Lydia, watching the Notebook, that would be the last night I felt peace... at least until today, that is. Funny how one simple object can ruin a person's life, huh?_

 _Too many people were going to be hurt because of what was coming, and even with my Spider Sense, I couldn't tell it was coming, not until it was too late._

 _Hell, I think the morning after was when I should have had the first glimpse into the nightmare of what was coming._

 _I eventually figured out that happy endings aren't how things work. There is no happy ending. It may have a moment of happiness, but that never lasts. Not for as long as we'd like._

 _I'd like to say that Harris went to Ryker's Island and stayed there the rest of his life being tortured by Kasady, like he deserved. I'd like to say that after that night I went on to live my life as Stiles Stilinski, just with some improvements, that my father was proud of me and I got to feel how proud he was every morning, that we wouldn't fight ever again over my impulsive actions. I'd like to say that I had my happy ending. I stopped Harris, but I didn't get the girl... I didn't end up with Lydia, or Erica for that matter. I would be content if my story ended there, having been the one to save Erica, I really would._

 _However, as you all probably know, that's not an ending, it's just the beginning._

 _God, I wish I had seen what was coming..._

* * *

Stiles opened his eyes that morning sore and exhausted. He wasn't sure how long he had slept last night, but he did know that it was light outside meaning it was probably safe to go home. He went to move but found that Lydia was laying against him for warmth, and he couldn't help but feel like a human pillow.

He smiled lightly at this, this smile being replaced with a frown as he realized they were in the same position that they had been in the freezer. Sweat ran down his face, remembering how lifeless she looked in those moments. The frost hanging off of her hair, the pale white skin she had. It was his nightmare, and Stiles thought he might end up having a panic attack.

In that moment as he shook at the thought of her nearly dying, Lydia unconsciously grabbed a part of his shirt squeezing tightly around him tighter, nuzzling her head into his neck. It was something that broke his trance and he instinctively brought her closer, holding her like she was the important object in the world. He closed his eyes once more, laying his head against hers.

"Mom, stop it..." Lydia muttered in her sleep, to which Stiles smiled. "I don't want you embarrassing me in front of Stiles..."

He snickered lightly, trying to imagine what she was remembering. Maybe it was her ninth birthday when he gave her the necklace. Stiles never thought much about the necklace, but he always felt better when he saw she had it on. It let him know that, at least in his mind, that he was protecting her at all times. That the necklace had taken all his feelings for her and created a protective barrier for her. What a time it was to be eleven years old.

"Well, well. Look who's awake." came the soft voice of Natalie Martin, standing in view in the hallway. Stiles turned bright red out of embarrassment at the sight.

"Um, hey Mrs. Martin, l-long time no see." he stuttered. Natalie smiled brightly at him as she looked at her daughter.

"I haven't seen her sleep that well in a long time. Not since we moved from Queens. I knew she would figure it out."

"Hmm?"

"She kept telling me that she couldn't sleep... says that something was missing." Natalie looked at Stiles knowingly, as the teenage Cross Species just kept getting redder by the second.

"Yeah, she m-mentioned something a-about it a few days ago when she showed up at my house."

"Do you remember, when you two were just kids? The nights where Lydia's father and I were working and she would want to stay at your house until we got off. You two would just sit in the living room and watch movies until the both of you would fall asleep. Lydia would fall asleep on your shoulder and you would always hold her like she was the only thing that mattered. She slept so much better when you were there. Something about you just made her feel, safe I suppose. My daughter is a smart girl, but she is still the same as she was back then. I knew that there was only one reason she couldn't sleep."

Stiles smiled lightly, and then felt behind his head. His eyes grew wide at the revelation he didn't have his pillow. He, he fell asleep without it. It was the first time in over ten years that he had been able to fall asleep without it.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, making him immediately reach for it. Pulling it out of his pocket he found it was a text from Laura.

 _Stiles, I need to talk to you. Meet me at the Loft as soon as you can, okay?_

He groaned internally. "I gotta go... my Dad's probably wondering where I am." Lowering Lydia's head onto the couch and covering her up the best he could, Stiles waved goodbye to Natalie. "Tell Lydia I'll call her sometime this afternoon, if Dad doesn't kill me that is."

Natalie nodded, and just like that Stiles was out the door.

* * *

Stiles entered the loft to find Laura pacing back and forth near the windows nervously. Her very footwork was that of a worried mother waiting for word on a missing child. Laura heard him and turned her head, her eyes glowing bright red.

"Hey, I got here as fast as I could, what's wrong?" he asked, raising his arms up, wishing he hadn't left Lydia's, considering he was still tired, and felt he was probably being dragged into a situation with the Supernatural.

"Have you talked to Derek? He took off some time last night. Hasn't been home at all."

"No, I haven't seen him or talked to him. Knowing Derek he's probably chasing a car downtown." Stiles chuckled lightly to himself as Laura crossed her arms.

"Stiles, please... this isn't a joke, I'm worried about him. He never goes off like that without letting me know. He's been acting a bit strange the past few days, like he's not really here."

"Derek's had a lot to deal with recently. Oscorp assassins, robots, and a serial killer holding Cora hostage, is a bit to deal with. Not to mention your's truly becoming a freaky spider-wolf cross species or whatever I am."

"Werespider."

"No, not a werespider. I don't change into anything."

"Yet you have the strength of a werewolf, the ability to crawl like a spider, from what Derek told me you have some sort of... spider sense? You have our endurance, durability, and a slower healing factor than us, but still enhanced. Sounds like a werespider to me." Laura pointed out, before motioning about his eyes. "Not forgetting the whole your eyes change to black. Like not just black in the iris, even the whites of your eyes turn black."

"I'm not a Werespider, I'm just a Cross Species that just so happened to have werewolf blood be a part of the formula."

"Tomato to-mato." The alpha shrugged, rolling her eyes to which Stiles just shook his head.

He turned towards the door, but was met by a firm grip on his shoulder. "Look, I get it, you don't want to be a part of this right now, especially after saving your girlfriend last night. But, Stiles... this is my brother, and I'm actually worried."

"Erica's not my girlfriend, not anymore. And why don't you track him, you have the nose of a bloodhound remember? I was only helping Derek to, get you out of Oscorp, and find your sister and rescue her from Harris. Those were the only reasons I was helping him."

"Really, it wasn't because you were afraid of dying at the hands of Norman Osborn?"

Stiles clenched his fists tightly at the mention of Norman. He turned, grabbing her by the wrist and pulled her off of him. "No, I wasn't. He helped me solve some things about my mother's past, and in return I helped him. That's all there was to it."

"I wish you would stop lying to yourself, you wouldn't have come over if you didn't care." she persisted.

Stiles sighed, knowing she was right. "I don't know if I care or not, all I know is, is that I am still healing from your sister trying to impale me with her claws last night. I'm sore, tired, and quite frankly Derek is an adult, he can take care of himself. I mean, he did it for how many years?"

"I wouldn't call what happened to Derek 'taking care of himself.' Then again, you don't know what he went through after the fire."

"I know enough... and I don't want to know anymore. I just want to go back to being Stiles Stilinski the human, and not Stiles Stilinski the Cross Species. Is that too much to ask?"

Laura's eyes showed defeat, knowing she wasn't going to get through to him. "Fine, I'll look for him myself. Go be a human... but if anything happens to Derek, I'm holding you responsible."

"Sounds like a deal." Stiles gave a fake smile, waving goodbye and left before Cora could wake up, just in case.

Arriving at home, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to see it was full of notifications, all about him. Stiles raised an eyebrow for a moment, before realizing that people had managed to get footage of him pulling Harris out of that house last night. The public statement by the police didn't matter at this point, they all knew Stiles was the one who did it. This was going to be interesting, no doubt about it.

* * *

 **Monday, September 3rd**

* * *

Silence overtook the school as Stiles stepped through those doors, to find eyes were all on him. He gulped heavily, not even remotely used to the attention he was being given. It was a stark difference to him. Stiles was so used to being invisible, a social pariah... and now he was suddenly in the spotlight as everyone's public hero. It was a complete 180 compared to just a few weeks ago when nobody would pay a single second's worth of attention to him.

He became frozen for a moment, his skin became clammy and for just a moment, he felt like he was about to have a panic attack. Then, it came rushing back as a hand patted his chest, wrapping around him. Stiles turned his head, to find it was Scott with a bright smile on his face, and Harry was behind him. There was something about how Scott and Harry were smiling that made him feel more confident about this attention.

It reminded him of the other night how proud he felt when saw everyone looking at him as he dropped Harris down into that yard.

"You're not going through this alone, buddy," Harry said as through the crowd came Carter Steel, Tracy's boyfriend. Stiles had something that needed to get to him, it would be what mattered most.

Before Stiles could reach into his pocket, Carter wrapped him in a hug, whimpering what sounded like thank you. Stiles hugged back as he pulled Tracy's necklace out and slipped it into Carter's hand.

"I think she would have wanted you to have this." Stiles smiled lightly as Carter looked at the last precious object he had given to Tracy before she died. Now, one might not have been able to see the emotions that were running through Carter, but Stiles knew it all too well just by the look in his eyes. It was pain, rage, relief, fear, and so much more melded into one singular body. Stiles had felt it the day Norman tried to kill him in the Tower. It was something he felt when Erica was taken. It was the feeling he's had ever since he's gotten his powers.

The powers were the solution to saving lives, but they were also the dangerous factor that led to people being in danger.

"T-thank you..." Carter started to cry, tears forming in his eyes as he held the necklace tightly in his hand, trying to make sure he never lost the only thing of Tracy that he could hang onto anymore.

"It's the least I could do... she was innocent."

As Carter moved back into the crowd, and Stiles steadied himself he felt a hand wrap around his left. He found it was Lydia smiling sweetly at him, wearing _his_ jacket from the Tower. Jackson was beside her and looked proud of Stiles. He had his friends, and he was no longer invisible. It was a new reality he would have to deal with, the same way he adjusted to his powers. His powers were the beginning of a new world for him, and his world was still changing. He was just glad to have people that cared about him standing with him, whether or not they knew who, or what he really was.

Today was a new day, and as of today, Stiles decided he was going to do some upgrades to his web shooters. He wanted to see if he could use his webs for something less defense oriented, to something involving, traversal.

* * *

Laura had been looking for Derek for over a full day now, having waited all of Saturday to see if he would come home, but he never did. Now she was following his faint scent through a parking structure right near a skyscraper belonging to a notorious mob boss that everyone was afraid to speak his name. Laura had only seen him once, in a meeting with Talia Hale.

He was terrifying, for a human. Laura was afraid of what Derek might have gotten himself into, and if this mob boss was involved, Laura knew there would be no saving him.

 _Where are you, Derek?_

"Oh my dear, I wouldn't be worrying about him right now," came a voice as Laura's eyes turned bright red. Turning she found a green-skinned man smiling at her. He had slick black hair and a thin mustache forming, and was wearing a dark blue suit. This man was far too clean in Laura's opinion. Then she realized, this man heard her thoughts.

"What..."

"Oh, please... don't act so surprised. You think noble Derek would leave his little sister like that?"

"Where is he?"

" _Right here..._ " came a growl from the shadows as only blue eyes shined and a roar followed. Even an Alpha wouldn't be able to come out unscathed from what was coming.

* * *

Norman sat down on the chair as he saw the vial full of a green liquid be set down on a table in front of him. "The serum produced from this "Subject One" as Octavius has informed me, with a bit of your Oz formula to boot. You know this is highly dangerous right?" Dr. Morbius asked him, raising an eyebrow. "If this is from a _Cross Species_ we have no idea what the repercussions of this will do to you Mr. Osborn, especially concerning your... issue."

"What do you know of my _issue_ Doctor?" Norman asked, looking off into space, not really paying much attention to Morbius' presence.

"I don't know, other than it's what has been causing you to become... less stable shall we put. I don't even have the faintest idea of what the issue is, all I know is, based on Octavius' word that you could have some lethal side effects to this."

"It doesn't matter. We all have to make sacrifices sometimes, correct?"

"Yes, Mr. Osborn."

"Now, shall we proceed with the injection?" Norman hissed out coldly, making Morbius nervously grab the vial and prepared for the injection.

* * *

 ** _Madame Web's Realm_**

* * *

 _"Only one person can stop the threat that's developing... and for this a hero has to be born. And heroes are born from pain. The Web of Destiny is a fickle thing, and this particular hero, he has to go through some of the worst pain he will ever feel in a matter of a few weeks to become the hero we will need._

 _"Destiny is about to come crashing down onto the city of New York City... and a Spider is going to take it for a swing. It's only a few days away, now..."_


	40. The Spider Who Cried Wolf

_Chapter Thirty-nine: The Spider Who Cried Wolf_

* * *

Nobody would know what happened in that parking lot... except for Laura Hale, the survivor. She laid bloody, broken, and actually genuinely afraid. It took a lot to scare Laura, she hadn't felt fear as of recent until she found out about Cora being kidnapped by Adrian Harris, the Identity Thief.

She was so thrilled to have her brother back that not once did she consider why he looked so young... why he didn't have a good explanation of where he had been during the nights after he and Stiles got her out of Oscorp Tower.

Yet, when she saw those icy blue eyes that belonged to him step out of the shadows not unlike a predator taking its prey by surprise, Laura realized she was missing so much of the picture. She only knew Derek had been taken to the Tower after the fire because the explosion had been so damaging. They used his blood to create the Lycan serum which enhanced his abilities to where even though he was a Beta, he had the strength of an Alpha. Laura couldn't stop Derek because of the serum that enhanced every aspect of the werewolf.

Laura didn't think she could stop him because of their bond, not when he was so ruthless in that state. She was having trouble even taking a small breath due to deep cuts on her stomach from Derek's claws.

Cora didn't have a phone, and Laura only had one person she could call, so she did the only thing she could in this moment. She called Stiles.

* * *

 **Tuesday, September 4**

* * *

Standing upon the top of the Chrysler building on a perch, Stiles felt the wind rush through his hair while he adjusted his web shooters overlooking the skyline of Manhattan at night.

"Elasticity has to be correct, otherwise the web's just going to snap and I go splat. Nothing to worry about Stiles, it's not like nobody knows you're a freaky Cross Species, Werespider, thing. Yeah, I totally love days like today when I talk to myself and I decide to do something so stupid I might as well be considered suicidal, yay!" he squealed mocking himself as he set the web cartridge into place and took in a deep breath.

"Only going to have one shot at this, so I need to be extremely careful with what I do here." He stepped onto the ledge of the gargoyle smiling. It would be smarter to try this during the day, but if this was going to work the way he wanted to, he didn't want people seeing what he was doing. Thankfully there was no need for him to make some half-baked explanation for why he was out of the house tonight... Stilinski was already passed out at home, having spent a wonderful night with Stiles. Stiles had cooked some of the best food he had ever made as a way to apologize to his Dad for being such a pain lately. He wanted to say that his Chicken Curry was to break the ice about his powers, but it never happened. Stiles hadn't been able to say a single word to him about it and quite frankly Stiles was okay with it. He didn't need his father knowing that he had powers to know he was extraordinary already.

So, Stiles stepped onto the very edge of the gargoyle, and aimed his arm not unlike that of a gun's barrel, and when he felt he found the right spot for the web to latch onto a building, he fired. A long string of the material flew across the street, splattering onto the wall within a matter of a few seconds.

He felt the chills run down his spine, knowing how stupid this idea was, but something made him want to do this, to do something life threatening. Stiles cracked his knuckles, looking at the utter height he was at.

Did he ever mention that he had a very slight fear of heights? He had been up high before, and heck he even dived out of Oscorp Tower, twice... but he was full of adrenaline and he was more focused on something else. Now, he was facing his mortality. Something about that just gave him goosebumps.

"Okay, here goes nothing!" he stuttered, clicking his tongue as he fell forward, letting gravity do the rest of the work. Through the air he flew down towards the ground, his jacket flapping in the air like a cape as he clung onto the single strand of web that would either be his salvation or demise...

He watched as the ground grew closer, and closer far too rapidly. Stiles could already imagine the impact of hitting the ground. He would be dead before he could even blink as soon as the pavement made even the slightest contact with him. Stiles closed his eyes, praying that this would work. Suddenly, the web became taut, and his eyes burst open as his body contorted and he was suddenly swinging up towards the sky.

"WOO-HOO!" he cheered loudly throughout the concrete canyons of New York, a huge smile growing upon his face as he let go of the web flying forward high above the buildings. As he started to descend once more he shot another web, moving forward and using his weight swung around the corner of a skyscraper, using his other web shooter to latch onto a rooftop ledge as a grapple point of sorts. Pulling himself forward, Stiles landed rather heroically onto the rooftop with the brightest smile he had ever had the pleasure of forming.

That was the best thing he had ever done, and he had felt amazing after taking Harris down, but this.. this was on a whole other level entirely.

He had come a long way from being that eight year old in the hospital watching his mother die, and Stiles knew that with what had happened over the past few weeks he was in a brand new world. It still astounded him to think that a few weeks ago he was just a skinny, powerless nerd and now here he was running around stopping serial killers, crawling up walls, punching through walls and swinging from a web. What a perfectly normal life he had.

Stiles looked forward, looking at the skyline and without even thinking he ran forward, shooting a web and launched into the air again, using Manhattan as his own personal playground.

By the time he realized what had happened he was sticking to the side of Stark Tower as his phone began ringing. Stiles pulled it out, seeing it was a call from Laura. This was something different though, something about how the hairs on his neck stood on end made him know this call was something entirely different.

"S-Stiles?" she breathed out weakly, causing chills to run down Stiles' body.

"Laura, what's wrong?" he asked, using his Spider Sense to try to figure out where she was.

"It's De..." her words were stopped by sudden violent coughing for a moment. "...something's wrong with him. He tried to kill me... I need help."

Stiles watched as the city turned blue in his sight thanks to his Spider Sense. The blue sense was like a blanket, overtaking the the island until it hit a skyscraper and it lit up the brightest gold he had ever seen in his life. He knew that building all too well, it was the one Sara Roberts' father worked at...

"You're at Fisk Tower, aren't you?" he asked lowly, and they both knew she didn't need to answer that.

"Please hurry."

Stiles hung up, and dove off of the wall using his web swinging to his advantage. He covered so much ground in a matter of minutes that he might as well have been flying.

The race across the city was much faster now that he wasn't just leaping off the sides of buildings or simply running through the streets, now he was soaring, using only the webs he and Lydia had made.

He let go of the web as he reached Fisk Tower and he saw that the parking garage was now glowing from his Spider Sense.

"I'm coming Laura."

* * *

Norman gasped awake, covered in a sickly sheet of sweat as Dr. Morbius stood there with fear. Morbius took a breath of what appeared to be relief as Norman examined his surroundings to find he was in a bed, and not just any bed... a hospital bed.

"Where am I?" he asked drowsily. Morbius rubbed his hands together nervously as he sat down in a chair beside Norman.

"You're in the infirmary. The serum was injected into you and you had a severe reaction. I thought you weren't going to make it." the doctor weakly croaked out, knowing Norman's _tendencies_ involving violence.

"What was the reaction?" Norman hissed, sitting up. Morbius took in a deep breath, recalling the horrifying experience.

"When the serum was injected, it seemed fine. One moment you were fine, the next you were having convulsions, screaming out in pain. By the time I got to you, your heart had stopped. We had to bring you back four times."

Norman eyed him suspiciously, something about how laced with emotion Morbius' words were, it kept throwing him off.

 _He probably hoped I would stay dead._ He thought to himself, grimacing. Morbius was standing there still, seemingly worried but Norman saw through that 'facade' of his.

"Michael, I wanted to thank you, for saving my life."

Morbius gulped slightly, sensing the venom behind the man's words. "I, I didn't do much either than get you to the medical bay, sir. You can thank Nelson and his team for saving your life."

 _So you did want me to stay dead..._

Norman weakly climbed to his feet, stepping towards the nervous man. Osborn's hand slowly raised from his side and reached out for the doctor's shoulder.

In that particular moment, Morbius saw what every other worker in the Tower saw when they looked in Norman's eyes. They saw a monster. He couldn't move though, as if his entire body had become frozen just from that one look at Norman's eyes.

Norman grabbed a hold of Morbius' shoulder, squeezing tightly. "No, no... you could have just let me lay there in that room and die, but you went out of your way to get me help. I owe you, Michael." he plastered a sweet, fake smile on his face and watched a bead of sweat run down the side of the doctor's face. "What's wrong? You seem afraid."

"W-why would I, why would I be afraid Mr. Osborn?"

"Because you're about to die."

"What?"

"You heard me..."

Norman's other hand flew up, wrapping around the doctor's throat and slammed him against the wall within the blink of an eye.

Wrapping his other hand around his neck, Norman began squeezing the life out of Morbius. He could see the life leaving his eyes, and Norman's maniacal smile showed the side only Stiles Stilinski truly knew about.

Morbius' attempt to break free weakened, and as he was about to black out, Norman's eyes grew wide at the revelation at what he was doing. Letting go of Michael and backing into a corner, shocked that he would kill someone as innocent as him, Norman shook with worry.

Morbius gasped for air, crawling away from Norman who was on the other side of the large medical bay.

"What did I just try to do..." Norman muttered to himself bringing his knees up to his chest.

* * *

Stiles found Laura laying against a pillar in the parking garage looking worse for wear. Her arms were torn open like she was paper. In fact, most of her looked that way. She seemed so weak, and for Stiles to be aware of the fact that she was an Alpha werewolf, the strongest of a Pack, it made him wonder what could have caused her so much damage.

"Hey, hey..." he tried to wake her up shaking her lightly, watching the werewolf's eyes flutter open just a tiny bit. "What happened?"

"D-Der..."

"Derek?" Stiles asked, and Laura nodded. "No, Derek's not here. What happened Laura?"

She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, catching him off guard. "H-he... did." she growled weakly, before passing out once more. Stiles gulped with wide eyes as he knew she needed to get help.

Lifting her into his arms, Stiles carried her to the roof of the parking garage, and decided to test whether he could swing with the weight of two people.

Hurrying to the Loft, Stiles found Cora getting a glass of orange juice (apparently she was more of a nocturnal person, go figure) when he opened the door holding the unconscious werewolf in his arms.

"I need help!" he called out, causing Cora to jump out of shock, but it quickly was turned into worry as she helped Stiles carry Laura to the couch.

"What the hell happened?" she asked, as Stiles shrugged.

"I don't know, I asked her and she said _Derek happened_. I was going to ask what she meant by that but she passed out. Why aren't her wounds healing?"

"Well, it could be two things... either she was attacked by another Alpha, their wounds last longer than Betas, or... she's the reason."

"What do you mean, she's the reason? I'm sure she didn't just maul herself!" he laughed sarcastically to which he got punched in the jaw by the she-wolf. Stiles groaned in pain as he held his jaw. "What was that for?"

"I didn't mean that you idiot. If there's a psychological conflict, werewolves can prevent themselves from healing. Say I were injured in a fight and I thought I was the reason that, oh I don't know... you, died. My guilt could cause me to stop healing. Any number of things really."

"How exactly can we fix a psychological barricade?" he asked, rolling his eyes a bit unintentionally, causing another slap from Cora.

" _We_ can't. Only she can..." Cora explained, and Stiles sighed putting his hand on Laura's shoulder.

"She was looking for Derek." he lowered his head.

"How do you know that?"

"The morning after The Identity Thief was arrested Laura had me come by the Loft. Derek had left during the middle of the night and she hadn't seen him. Your sister wanted me to look for him. I," he took in a deep breath.

"You what?"

"I told her no." he admitted, his voice filled with guilt.

"NO? What do you mean you told her no?" Cora growled, her eyes glowing yellow as Stiles eyed the claws form on her hands.

 _Somebody needs to get this girl a manicure, immediately!_

Stiles sat back with his head lowered. "Look, I didn't ask to be a part of this, okay? I just wanted to know what happened to my Mom."

He saw that look of confusion on her face, and explained in a way he hoped she would understand. After explaining he saw how she was at ease with his answer. "With everything that had happened in the past few weeks, I thought I could have my old life back, one where I wasn't a Cross Species, or werespider, or whatever I am... I just wanted to be human again, or at least pretend. That's why I told Laura no, because I wanted to be normal. I guess this is what my hopes get us, huh?"

Cora retracted her claws and grabbed the teenager's arm gently. "Look, Stiles... if what this, Madame Web... or whoever she is was telling the truth that what happened to you in Oscorp Tower was supposed to happen, maybe there's a reason you got stronger because of it."

"I don't feel stronger, that's the thing."

"Let's face it Stiles, if you can take on those robots Osborn sent after you without getting hit after coming back from the dead, and then manage to take down a werewolf all in a matter of a couple days, I'd say you're stronger."

"I just don't understand one thing, if I was supposed to die that day like she said, why wouldn't she tell me anything else that was going to happen?"

 _"Maybe it's because it's a surprise Mr. Stilinski..."_

"Your surprises end up with blood though."

"Who are you talking to?" Cora asked with a raised eyebrow and Stiles just laughed.

"I'm speaking to an old woman in a wheelchair with no personal boundaries." he informed her with a smile.

 _"Oh Stiles, you are him..."_ Madame Web's voice echoed in the back of his mind and he scratched his head at that remark. What did that mean?

"Look, Derek would come looking for you if you needed help. I'd say that's the least you could do."

Stiles nodded, cracking his knuckles as he climbed to his feet. "Take care of her, just one question... from what you've seen of Derek lately, has he been acting weird at all?"

"I haven't been around him all that much the past few months if you remember. But when he came back to town he was acting all weird."

"Came back to town? He left?"

"Yeah, I think so anyway, he showed up for the first time in nine years back in May."

 _May, why is that month ringing a bell right now?_

 _"I'd say this is a coincidence that May just so happens to ring a bell because that's when the bank robberies began. You of all people should know that, after all, you were studying their locations."_

Stiles groaned, rather annoyed by that old woman. "May... you're sure about that?" Cora nodded and the teenager turned towards the window. "I'll see what I can do to find Derek, I promise."

With a nod goodbye Stiles leaped out of the open window and into the city, to which Cora watched in shock, only to see the teen swing out of sight.

* * *

Madame Web had been right, May was when the bank robberies first began. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? The only time that woman popped up it seemed was when something was supposed to happen. He got to his house around two a.m. and decided that perhaps school wasn't as important as finding out what the missing Hale was involved with.

Then again, his father would not be pleased with this. How many days had Stiles missed because of his powers now? There was a few days about Harris, other than that it was fine. He decided that he was going to stay at home and figure out what was going on, one way or another.

Stiles sat down at his desk and realized something... everything somehow went back to the Hales. Oscorp Tower, Claudia, Harris and Erica... the bank robberies, even Stiles' own powers were from the Hales. Stiles cracked his knuckles, glancing upon the red mask he had worn the night he went to Ryker's Island to speak with Kasady.

 _I wonder how Harris is holding up with him. Whatever happens to Harris, he deserves._

Opening a notebook he had been using to research the bank robberies, he meticulously scanned through every scrap of information he had acquired over the course of five months. Now that he thought about it, one piece of info really got him. There was only one robbery per month. Exactly seven days after a full moon.

* * *

 **Full Moons - Bank Robberies**

* * *

May 5th - May 12th

June 4th - June 11th

July 3rd - July 10th

August 1st - August 8th

August 31st - **_September 7th?_**

* * *

As he wrote it, his Spider Sense went off and he turned to see Derek standing in the background of his room, his face pale, as if he hadn't slept a lot in a few days.

"Derek?"

"Hey, Stiles... what are you working on?" he said with a mischievous smile, stepping forward to take a look. Stiles stopped him in his place though before he could even move.

"What did you do to your sister in that parking garage..."

Derek's face fell flat, and his eyes shined like he was close to crying, but at the same time it was the complete opposite. He didn't look guilty, he wasn't sorry about it.

"So, she called you did she? How is she... alive I presume."

Stiles blinked in surprise to his response. "Alive? She's barely breathing, and I can't exactly take her to a hospital. Now, I don't know what's going on with you Derek, but this isn't you. What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on that concerns you Stiles. You did what you wanted to do, you caught the Identity Thief, and you learned the truth about Claudia. Do yourself a favor, live a normal life. You won't like what's coming if you decide to be a meddling bug."

"I prefer to be called a curious arachnid... and you're working for them, aren't you?" Derek's eyes glowed blue at that, and Stiles was unable to move as the werewolf grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall, cracking the paint. "Okay, I'm right then."

"I'm trying to be nice, Stiles... I'm not here to hurt you."

"Then let go of me..." Stiles growled, clenching his fists as his Spider Sense went off like a machine gun in the back of his head. "However, I think the both of us know that's a lie, and you plan on either hurting me or killing me. Spider Sense is a hell of a thing!" Stiles brought his arm up, and slammed his elbow down on Derek's, releasing him. Throwing a punch, Stiles watched as Derek dodged it easily and brought his fist directly into his ribs with a sickening crack. Stiles felt his feet leave the ground and he prepared himself. Derek grabbed him and slammed him into his desk, shattering a framed picture of Stiles and his parents. Stiles hit the ground and shot a web onto the werewolf's chest and pulled him in for an attack. "I think I need to take you to obedience school!"

Stiles wrapped his legs around Derek's neck and knocked him to the ground, and proceeded to throw as many punches as he could before he could recover. Five punches in and Derek sent his claws into the teen's stomach and dug in deep. Stiles' eyes turned pitch black as he growled in pain, before he heard the sound of his father's voice.

"Stiles? What's going on?" Stilinski called, and all Stiles could do was freeze in that moment.

" _What's the matter, Stiles... don't want your Dad seeing you fight a werewolf with your eyes like that? Stop fighting and I'll let him live._ "

He thought about it as Derek slashed at his chest and face, tearing him apart like he was a piece of paper. Stiles released Derek and was sent flying into his closet.

As he laid there, blurred vision and all he watched as Derek grabbed his notebook and trashed his computer. Putting the notebook in his jacket Derek looked at the closet, and with Stiles' enhanced hearing he could hear Derek whisper " _I can't let you play hero... I'm sorry,_ " before jumping out of the room and into the early morning. Stilinski busted through the door a moment later and found the carnage.

"Stiles?"

"D-dad..." he groaned weakly. His body was heavy, almost dead weight at this point and Stiles couldn't even hardly move. He could have won that fight, he felt it in his bones but he couldn't let his father see him like that. "Dad..."

Stilinski turned to the closet to see his son, and immediately rushed to his aid. "Hey, hey, stay with me kiddo. Stay with me," Stiles heard him beg, as his eyes closed and everything went black.


	41. Destiny's Shadow

_Chapter Forty: Destiny's Shadow_

* * *

 _9:00 A.M._

* * *

"I'm sorry but unless you're family you cannot enter the room." the doctor informed Lydia and Scott as they stood outside of Stiles' hospital room in the ICU, having received a call from Stilinski that Stiles had been attacked by something. He didn't say what it was, and from the tone of his voice Lydia would guess that Stilinski didn't have a clue as to what that thing was.

"They're family... might as well be." Stilinski smiled coming up behind them, pale with worry. The two teens jumped around, expecting answers from Stilinski, but there was no answers.

After getting the clear from the doctor, the three entered the room. Scott immediately gulped at the sight of his best friend laying in that bed, looking like death itself. His face was lifeless, covered with cuts and bruises, and the rest of his torso was bandaged. Scott didn't have to see under the hospital gown to know that Stiles' chest and stomach received the worst of the damage.

He sat down beside Stiles in a chair while Lydia walked on the opposite side of the bed and held the unconscious teen's hand.

"What happened..." Scott asked weakly raising his head up to look at Stilinski.

"I don't know. I was downstairs, getting coffee and there were these loud noises and growls were coming from his room. I went up there, and when I didn't get an answer but there were more crashes, I busted the door down. His room was trashed. The entire desk is destroyed and his closet is in shambles right now. There was nothing in his room when I got there. Stiles was laying in his closet, looking like... like that." he motioned towards his son, all while keeping his eye on the strawberry blonde that just so happened to be wearing Stiles' jacket, the one he had given him for his birthday last year. A small smile came upon Stilinski's face at that, to which he couldn't deny that he felt that perhaps they were finally together after all this time. Although a conversation between him and Stiles last night proved otherwise.

"Is he going to be okay?" Lydia asked weakly, and Stilinski sighed.

"I don't know, but I do know that I'm going to make whoever hurt my son pay..." the officer growled, stepping forward and sitting down beside his son in a chair and just watched him breathe.

 _Come on, Stiles. You can get better, just keep breathing. If you stop breathing I don't know what I'll do._

* * *

The air was thick as Derek entered the dark room in the warehouse in Harlem he had been staying at for the past few days with that green skinned man and the other people that had accompanied him in that van.

He felt sick, remembering what he had done to Stiles. How Stiles laid there, bruised and battered, it just made Derek sick to his stomach. Whether Derek wanted to hurt him or not, Derek had no choice in the matter. It was either kill him or hurt him... and Derek couldn't do that to him, so he chose the option that would let Stiles live. Maybe Stiles could actually live a normal life now that he had been injured to that point, and he wouldn't pursue this any further.

Stiles may have been a Cross Species, but he was still a member of Derek's pack, he was Derek's brother now and to have hurt him that way, it just hurt Derek more than any bullet could.

The man with the green skin wanted Derek to kill him, but Derek had luckily been able to have enough control to offer the non-lethal option, and now as Derek entered that room where he was supposed to be waiting he could easily see him waiting in the darkness for him, looking not pleased whatsoever.

"Is it done?" the man asked, his voice cold and smooth. It was the kind of voice that oozed with charisma that you couldn't help but want to listen to what he told you.

"Yeah, the kid won't be a problem anymore. He's alive, but he won't be able to get in the way." Derek nodded, crossing his arms in the process as the man stood up, walking up to Derek as the lights turned on, revealing the snarl on his face.

"I told you to kill him."

"No, you told me to deal with him. I will do what you want, but family and Pack, they will not die... do you understand me?"

The man smiled as he grabbed Derek by the throat. "No, I'm afraid I don't, because for a moment there it sounded like you think you have a choice, _Omega._ "

Derek's eyes shined as the man took a hold of him mentally. The werewolf went limp as he went to that place in his mind, unable to control himself.

"Now, do me a favor, give yourself fifty slashes for not following my directions. But besides that, you did a good job." The man with the green skin let go and walked away as Derek opened his hand, revealing his claws, and slashed at his torso.

Animal like howls screams could be heard throughout the warehouse as the man walked out, with a smile on his face.

* * *

 _4:30 P.M._

* * *

Lydia didn't know how long she had stayed by Stiles's side that day, but she knew that seeing him like this hurt a hell of a lot more than it should have. Without the reassuring sounds of the EKG meter, Lydia would have thought Stiles was dead to be completely honest.

Scott had just left to go get something to eat in the cafeteria, and Stilinski was asleep, having called into work to stay with Stiles while he was recovering, if it could be called that. Jackson had come by, seeing how things were, but became quiet out of nowhere. Harry was here every now and then, trying to see if he could get some specialist in to see if they could help Stiles, but Lydia knew that Stiles was strong enough to come back on his own.

As she lightly squeezed his hand, she thought about everything she had done to him the past couple years before they started to reconnect and she regretted everything. She regretted calling him a shadow, ignoring him when he tried to speak to her, she regretted not telling him that she had a crush on him when they were kids, especially when he reciprocated those feelings. She regretted a lot of things, but she did not regret throwing a snowball at that kid who lived next door to her when she was three years old, because if she hadn't, she wouldn't have met Stiles Stilinski.

Taking her necklace off, she put it around his neck, the symbol reflecting the dim light in the room, smiling lightly.

"You can give it back to me when you wake up, until then, no matter what I'm going to be with you, just as you've done for me."

* * *

Madame Web saw the symbol laying upon Stiles' chest and smiled brightly, knowing what was coming now. The wheels of destiny were in motion as she witnessed the sight of the teenager standing upon a car wearing a red and blue suit, with that symbol upon his chest.

 _He's coming now, there's no stopping it now. Do what you will Mr. Stilinski, but your fate is sealed, and it will start with a fatal price._

* * *

Norman twitched as a dark voice in the back of his head itched at him to get payback on the one person who had caused him so much trouble the past few weeks. It kept screaming at him as Norman hunched over his desk, closing his eyes tightly.

 _No, I can't do this to him, I promised._

 _"You promised to keep her out of this, not to bring anyone else in. He deserves this for threatening us. Are you going to let him get away with this? Let him get away with threatening you?!"_

 _I suppose you're right, but..._

 _"BUT NOTHING! YOU NEED TO MAKE HIM PAY. HE WANTS TO FIGHT, ALL HE WILL RECEIVE IS MISERY..." the voice growled at him as Norman groaned, succumbing to his own thoughts._

 _How would I do that?_

 _"It's simple, you hurt the one he loves..."_

* * *

Jackson entered Norman's office after school that day, having stopped by the hospital to check on Stiles since Lydia had been there all day, only to find Norman hunched over his desk looking quite angry, but upon seeing the teenager his face turned solemn.

"Ah, Jackson my boy, you were just the person I was looking for. I need to talk to you about your _girlfriend..._ I don't think she's been faithful to you, son." Norman said grimly, faking his sorrow for Jackson as he looked at the video from that freezer when Stiles and Lydia were trapped in there that day. Although, thanks to some changes, it wasn't the same life threatening situation they appeared to be in. This was just a sight of two secret lovers spending time together.

With that statement, Jackson's interest was peaked as he watched Norman turned the computer monitor...

* * *

" _I can't let you play hero... I'm sorry..."_ the words replayed through his mind like a video on repeat. Derek didn't want to hurt him, the guilt in his voice when he whispered those words was evident.

Stiles knew that Derek believed he had destroyed the evidence, but that wasn't true. After everything he had learned from watching his father, he knew that there would come a time where his curiosity would get him into trouble, so he made a second copy, and only one person he knew was trusted enough to keep it, even unknowingly.

Scott had the evidence, and Stiles knew that he would have to get up and give his father that evidence to make sure the upcoming robbery was stopped. He could see a dim light, and as he opened his eyes he saw that Lydia was asleep next to him, with his former jacket on her like a blanket. He was in a hell of a lot of pain, but manageable for the most part as he sat up weakly. As he moved, he felt the metal chain against his neck, making him look down to see the spider necklace on his chest, making him raise an eyebrow.

 _She put it on me?_

Stiles saw out of the corner of his eye something stir, making him turn quickly to see that it was only his father waking up.

"D-dad?" he called out weakly, his voice scratchy and quiet. Stilinski opened his eyes and looked at his son with surprise and joy rushing over to him, hugging him. "Ow..."

"Jesus, kid... are you going to stop giving me heart attacks?" Stilinski asked as Stiles tried to tell him he was hurting him, but his voice was still weak.

"Uh, Dad... c-can you ease up?"

Stilinski realized his mistake and loosened the hug to which Stiles gladly reciprocated it. Tears were running down the older Stilinski's face, thankful that Stiles was awake.

"Th... there's something I," the teen's voice was nothing but pain, exhaustion, and weakness... his words spread out over several heavy breaths. "I need to tell you... t-the, the robberies."

"The robberies? Stiles, don't worry about that, you just nearly died."

"D-dad, you... you don't understand." Stiles gripped his father's shirt collar as in the back of his head his spider sense was going wild, for reasons that he wasn't even sure of just yet, but after a few days, looking back on it, Stiles wished he had kept his mouth shut. "I k-know when the next one is."

Stilinski looked at him with shock, to which he nodded and turned his head so he could make sure he could hear his son right. With the rest of his voice about to fade away, Stiles told him the date and where the robbery would be... and that decision was the worst possible choice he could have ever made in his life.

Stiles laid back down, not speaking another word, and he would rest, letting his body heal enough until he could get out of the hospital and get to that evidence so his father could get the police department to take action.

However, as he closed his eyes, he could have sworn his Spider Sense had been like a machine gun, the only difference about this time was, Stiles didn't even acknowledge it. What a mistake that was.


	42. A Mother's Philosophy

_Chapter Forty-one: A Mother's Philosophy_

* * *

The rest of the day Stiles spent in bed, in and out of sleep with different people greeting him when he woke up the next time. First it had been his Dad, then it was Scott who like his father had hurt him with a hug that threatened to end his very existence it seemed. Lydia had been asleep still, as he apparently wasn't the only one exhausted. Harry came by, giving him a lecture about how he needed his wing-man and that, but Stiles knew he was coming from good intentions, and he had to admit laughing at that had done him some good.

Jackson never came back oddly enough, as Stiles found out he had come to check on Lydia earlier. It was nearing nine now and Stiles could feel some of his energy was restored, and he had a feeling he'd be able to stand up now, not that anyone would let him even move at this moment.

He knew he needed rest, but he had to go get that evidence stashed at Scott's house, before it was too late. For Stilinski to be able to do anything about the bank robbery they needed solid evidence that there would be an attack. Stiles knew it all too well, and the only way he could ensure Scott and his mom would be safe was if he did this on his own, secretly.

Waiting there for a moment taking in a deep breath, Stiles slowly turned to get his feet on the floor, the stitches in his stomach and back tensing up and he groaned as quietly as he could. He breathed heavily, sweat running down his face as he climbed to his feet and stumbled against the table. The IV and other medical equipment attached to him were pulled, and he rolled his eyes. Removing them, Stiles weakly knelt down besides his father to grab his damaged clothing. It was better than going through the city in a hospital gown, that was for sure. Getting dressed, Stiles ignored his pain and noticed that his web shooters were not on him anymore finally. Searching frantically he found it was placed in the bag his clothes had been in and put them on. He couldn't fight right now, but he could at least subdue someone fairly easily as long as he kept some distance on them.

As he stepped near Lydia's unconscious form, Stiles removed her necklace from around his neck and put it back on her.

Looking towards the door, Stiles put his hood up and began moving, hoping that Scott nor Melissa would see him and try to stop him.

* * *

 **Queens**

* * *

 _11:00 P.M._

* * *

It took him about twenty minutes of running, but once he was at Scott's house he climbed in through Scott's window (a troublesome cause by the way) and he reached into the closet, finding a section of wall that was hollow. They had used this to keep their favorite games or personal items safe in case Melissa wanted to clean the room for a yard sale. Stiles had stayed there so much over that years now that he might as well have had his own room.

Pulling out a flash drive, Stiles smiled as he sat down on the bed, huffing heavily as he had over-exerted himself from merely climbing in the room.

 _I haven't felt this weak since before the bite... I can't let anyone hurt me like that anymore, even if Dad might find out,_ Stiles decided then and there as he recovered for a moment and hurried outside, hurrying back to the hospital, hoping nobody had noticed he was gone.

* * *

It was like hell...in a sense. Derek Hale had spent what seemed like a life time suspended in the nothingness of Hell. Meat hooks ripping his skin from his bones, fire dancing far too close for his comfort. If he had been living he would have sweated every pound from his body. The pain had been unbearable. He had screamed, begged, and cried. He wanted it to end, and after a long time this did finally come to an end though.

He was unsure his new torment was a relief of any sort. The hooks seemed to be sort of a waiting room, like they were getting his paperwork in order or something. Perhaps they were sorting through his darkest fears and deciding what else would make him scream. His new waiting room was no bigger than 3x3 feet, the ceiling rested literally right above his head.

There was no ounce, just no ounce whatsoever of light. There was no pain endured to Derek at that point, but he was just alone, completely and beyond alone. He was able to sit on the floor, and he curled his knees to his chest, and laid his head on them. He was having an anxiety attack, which he never had, he gasped for breath and his whole body was shuddering uncontrollably.

Derek felt like his chest was caving in and he couldn't stop the tears from soaking his jeans. He wasn't sure if his body and lungs or even his jeans really existed at this point. Maybe, perhaps that this was just how he perceived things to be. Until this point in Derek Hale's life, he had never known he could feel and act so weak.

This was not Derek Hale, this was some hollowed out shell of the man he used to be. Who had been there to witness his break down, Derek was the only one there, and he couldn't see it because of the blackness.

That was the one thing about having your mind controlled and unable to do anything to stop it. Derek didn't know what he was going to do to break free of this control, but ever since that night he laid down and heard that voice, he hadn't seen anything in the real world.

Derek only knew one thing, and whoever was behind this was capable of keeping him here as long as they needed him, and that was the worst thing.

That was, until he finally "woke" up.

"Well, what do you know, he's still clinging on to life! This is interesting..."said a voice as Derek came flying out of a tub of water after being held down for a few minutes, his life clinging on by a string, and he looked up as the water dripped from his hair, and he could only see the silhouettes of these men that were torturing him currently. The pain he was feeling now was a result of being electrocuted every single time he was brought out of the water, as some sort of torture slash interrogation about something he didn't even know about. "Are you willing to talk or...are we just going to have to kill ya?" Derek looked at his captors before his eyes glowed bright blue, grinning evilly.

"How about I kill you instead?"

"That'd be nice,but it's time for you to take another ice bath." a voice said, and Derek turned to see that green skinned man grab him by the neck and throw the werewolf into the water...

The water disappeared and Derek found himself in a hallway, unable to see what was going on, and no matter what he couldn't tell if he was awake, or if it was another hallucination designed by that man to keep him under lock and key. Layers, and Derek didn't know when he was going to get free, or if he was going to.

" _Don't worry Derek, everything's fine... I just need you to stay in this maze fora while, and once I'm done, you can go free._ " Derek growled as the hallway continued to get longer, and longer, until he couldn't see any light at the end... " _Get walking..._ "

* * *

The green skinned man stood in the real world, watching as Derek was placed into a chamber labeled only as, The Omega.

"Rest up, we'll need you as insurance in case someone decides to play hero."

* * *

Stiles got back to the hospital around midnight, having slowed down a tad bit as he felt his stitches begin to hurt, like they were about to tear, and his father had just opened his eyes to see him enter the room, fully dressed, and not in bed resting.

"Jes-" Stilinski stammered getting to his feet as Stiles hunched over the table with a weak smile on his face. "Stiles, are you crazy?!" he asked in a whisper as to not disturb Lydia.

"Dad, I know... but you need this." he groaned as he pulled the flash drive out from his pocket. "I was the only one who knew where it, it was."

"What's on this?"

"The evidence I had on the bank robberies. I couldn't just do nothing." Stiles informed him, as Stilinski helped him back to bed, not bothering to get him back in his hospital gown.

"Stiles, thank you, but you need to take care of yourself. You almost died."

"I'm alive, aren't I?" he asked, a bit harsher than he should have, but once he saw the worried expression on his father's face he immediately apologized. "Dad, I'm alive... that's all that matters. You have everything you need for the Captain to take action. I-I," Stiles gulped a bit as he ran out of breath. "I know it might seem crazy, but there's been attacks on the full moon, and they all correspond with the bank robberies. You'll see what I mean..."

"Okay, I'll get it to the Captain in the morning."

"No, you need to get it to him now..." Stiles insisted, as he grabbed his father's arm lightly. "I don't want people getting hurt... those guys need to be brought to justice."

Stilinski smiled, remembering how Claudia had said something very similar to him one day when she had discovered some of the students at her college were in the drug market, selling a drug which was called "Grave dust" or something along that line, but what the drug did was make the user's skin hard as rock and make it to where knives or bullets wouldn't do anything to them. The after-effects caused the users to have their insides become rock and they would die.

"You remind me so much of your mother, you know that?"

Stiles raised an eyebrow at this, to which Stilinski chuckled. "Your mother had this philosophy, that with great power comes great responsibility."

"What?"

"It confused me when she first said it to me, but when I thought about it some I understood her. If you have the ability to do something good, it wasn't an option, you had an obligation to do that. Look, I want you to make me proud, and you do that every single day. It doesn't matter to me if you're a nerd, a geek, even a jock. You could be a superhero, and Stiles... I wouldn't care. You're my son, and no matter what you do, I will always be proud of you. Just please, don't go and get yourself killed. I can't lose you too."

"You won't lose me Dad..."

Stiles laid his head back on the bed, as Stilinski patted him on the shoulder. "I'll go give to this to Captain Stacy. You stay in bed, kiddo. That's an order."

"Yes sir," Stiles smiled as Stilinski left, and while Lydia was still asleep Stiles changed back into his hospital gown. Putting his web shooters back into his jacket's pocket, Stiles got laid back down, not putting the IV back in or anything and fell asleep once more.

* * *

 **Wednesday, September 5th**

* * *

By the time he woke up, Stiles could finally feel and _see_ his wounds were healing, as now some of the stitches were gone when compared to last night, but that was probably was a result of him leaving the hospital when he was just starting to recover. He was still healing though, that's all that mattered to him. Stiles noticed the room was empty now, and so he cracked his knuckles lightly, hoping that he had some of his strength back now. As he climbed to his feet, Stiles rested his hands upon the edge of the bed, and took in a deep breath. He tried to lift, getting it about two inches off of the ground when he felt his arms give way, and it hit the floor with a bang. Knowing somebody heard that, Stiles hopped back in bed, acting like he hadn't gotten up in the first place.

Scott came into the room, with that iconic look of worry that he always had on him when the hospital was involved, except this time it was like he was deathly worried. Stiles should have remembered he wasn't the only one that came out of this hurt. Scott was his best friend and seeing Stiles in the hospital, and to see that he was so close to death, it would have been hard enough. Stiles blinked, as if he was faking he had just opened his eyes for the first time that day, and raised an eyebrow at Scott.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Stiles asked, his voice raspy, but stronger than it was last night. Scott looked around, searching for the source of the noise, only to see Stiles laying peacefully in bed, awake and okay, for the most part.

"I, I thought I heard a noise. I was worried."

Stiles tried to hide his smile as he thought about how lucky he was to have Scott as a friend as he sat up. "I'm fine, buddy. Sit down, please."

Scott ran his hand through his hair, nodding lightly as he sat down beside Stiles, noticing how the teen had more color in his face today.

"How are you feeling?" Scott asked, to which Stiles laughed lightly.

"Like I got my ass handed to me by a bulldozer, but other than that I'm doing fine." he chuckled, as he thought back to the fact Lydia was no longer in the room. "Where's Lydia?"

"She went home for a bit, said she'd be back. I told her you had been up for a little bit yesterday, and she seemed disappointed she didn't get to talk to you then."

Stiles nodded, resting his head on his pillow. He needed to figure out something to make Lydia's life easier... after a near-death experience at Oscorp, Stiles being in life threatening situations three times in a matter of a two, she must have been going through her own personal hell. Then again, she didn't remember the Oscorp situation... she didn't remember the kiss or what she told him. All she knew was that one moment they were at the Tower, and the next she was laying in bed wearing his jacket. Then he goes off the radar and then has a confrontation with the Identity Thief, and saves Erica, but could have died in the process. Then was this incident that really put the icing on the proverbial cake. If Lydia had feelings for him still, by god she was probably having a roller coaster of emotions.

"Yeah... I bet she was."

"So, what's the deal with you two?"

Stiles gulped, raising an eyebrow at him. "W-What do you mean?"

"I get it, she's with Jackson but something has been different between you two lately, and I don't know what it is. Ever since before Mr. Harris was arrested the two of you just seem, closer."

"Nothing's changed. We're just finally back to being friends like we were when she lived next door."

Scott laughed at this, rolling his eyes. "Stiles, if that were true, you and Lydia would be in a relationship right now."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh my god, you really didn't see it, did you? You two were head-over-heels for each other. I'm surprised that she got with Jackson instead of you in the first place."

 _So even Scott knew she liked me?_

 _"Yes, he did."_ Madame Web's disembodied voice appeared in the back of his mind, causing him to wince at the sound of her voice.

 _Can you stop popping in at the least important times? I needed you to warn me about Derek and yet, you were dead silent. As a matter of fact you've been radio silent since Norman tried to kill me. I think you've spoken to me once since then. That's kind of a crap move, tell a guy he's going to die and then when he doesn't, you ghost him. Seriously woman, you're not helpful at this point._

 _"I only intervene when needed."_

 _AND HOW ARE YOU NEEDED NOW?!_

 _"Oh, I'm not... I just get bored staying in this room all day."_

 _I hate my life..._

"I guess I never noticed." Stiles said with a shrug, lying right through his teeth.

* * *

"Stilinski, who was the tip from regarding this supposed bank robbery?" Captain George Stacy asked as he held up the flash drive, while the officer nervously scratched the back of his head, hoping that he could get away with saying it was something he had discovered himself, so that way he wouldn't get in trouble again for Stiles getting in the mix. He was on thin ice after the Identity Thief issue, so...

"It wasn't a tip, Captain. I've been doing some digging... just found some connections, why?" Stilinski asked, feeling sweat form on his forehead.

"I wanted to say whoever did this took their time with this. I haven't seen such a thorough file since my first report nearly thirty years ago." Captain Stacy smiled at him, patting the officer on the shoulder.

"Oh, is that a good thing?"

"It's outstanding. With this, we might just catch these guys."

 _I hope so._

* * *

Lydia opened the door to her apartment, getting ready to head back to the hospital when she was met by Jackson, who had a horrendous cloud of beer coming off of him. Was he drunk? She looked at him curiously, and saw how his eyes were red, as if he had been crying.

"Jackson, what are you doing here?" she asked, putting her hand on his, but he snatched it away, catching her off guard.

"You and I need to talk... now."


	43. Spider-Man is Born

_Chapter Forty-two: Spider-Man is Born_

* * *

Lydia heard the words Jackson hissed out so coldly... "You and I need to talk... now." His hands were shaking viciously as she just looked at him with pure and utter confusion.

"Uh, sure..." she drew her words out, opening the door to let him in, but Jackson didn't move, causing Lydia to just raise her eyebrow. "Jackson, what's going on?"

"I'm the one that should be asking you that..." he hissed, strands of his hair falling against his forehead. _Somebody didn't put in their hair gel._

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Of course not," the drunk teenager laughed mockingly. "Why would you know what I'm talking about since you think I'm an idiot."

Lydia felt her chest tighten up at this, wondering what was getting Jackson so riled up like this, normally he wasn't like this, to her at least. "Can you stop being so mysterious and tell me what you're going on about, and why you smell like a brewery."

"I know about you and Stilinski..."

It was at that moment, Lydia felt like she was in the Twilight Zone, because she had no clue as to what Jackson was referring to...

He walked into the apartment, to which Lydia shut the door slowly, trying to process what he said. "What about _us_?"

"Don't play innocent, Lydia... you know exactly what I'm talking about. I just want to know why... why hide it from me?"

"Jackson, what are you talking about?" Lydia asked, throwing her arms out.

"I know you've been with Stiles behind my back! That's what the hell I'm talking about, the fact you're cheating on me with him." he screamed finally, to which Lydia's eyes grew wide.

"You think that I'm, uh... what? I'm sorry but what gives you the idea that Stiles and I are doing anything like that?"

"Really, I know about your little moment at the Tower... I saw the footage of you two kissing... I know what I saw, Lydia."

"Stiles and I never kissed, and if we had I would remember it!" Lydia exclaimed, shocked that Jackson would dare to accuse her of cheating.

"There was camera footage. It caught you and Stilinski in that room having your moment!" Jackson got in her face, causing her to wince out of fear. "DON'T LIE TO ME!"

"I'm not lying!" Lydia cried out, trying to reason with him as tears began to prick at her eyes. _What was he talking about?_ "How would there be footage if it never happened?!"

"STOP DENYING IT! I SAW IT ON CAMERA, THERE'S NO POINT IN LYING!" Jackson screeched at her, gripping her wrist.

"Jackson! I would never lie to you!" By now tears were streaming down her face in short floods of passion.

"YES! YOU ARE! I SAW YOU KISSING HIM! WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE HIM OVER ME, AND NOT EVEN TELL ME?!" His grip tightened suddenly, causing Lydia to wince out of pain.

"Jackson? Jackson, stop." The drunk teenager's grip on her grew tighter. "Please, you're hurting me," she choked out, trying to get him to release her.

"WHY SHOULD I? YOU'VE ALREADY HURT ME! AND YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE BY LYING. STOP DENYING IT!" He was shaking with rage, his grip unwavering, as his drunken state made him impossible to reason with.

"JACKSON! I would _NEVER_ cheat on you! EVER! I don't know what you saw but it wasn't me! Now please, let me go! You're hurting me!" Lydia shouted, and he finally let go.

"I saw _your_ face, Lydia. It was you." Jackson's voice was eerily calm as he said it, but you could practically see the anger that radiated off him, "and do you know what else I saw? How you didn't even give it a second thought. You weren't thinking of me or how hurt I would be if you did it, or how much you supposedly love me. No, you just kissed him. _Him._ "

"Jackson, listen to me, please. I never kissed him, Stiles is just a really good friend. I love you. There's nothing between me and him." Lydia's tears were falling more steadily now, a constant trickle down her cheek rather than the unpredictable flood that had previously occurred.

"And I want to believe that, I really do, but I CAN'T! I SAW IT MYSELF, LYDIA! YOU KISSED HIM! YOU CHEATED ON ME!" Jackson yelled, shaking with such a ferocity that he seemed to be vibrating.

"No, I didn't... Jackson, you _have_ to believe me!" Lydia pleaded with wide eyes out of fear.

Jackson growled a little bit, lowering his head. "You know what? Give me my key back." He spat.

"W-what?" she asked, wiping the salty water from her eyes.

"You heard me... I said," he seethed through gritted teeth, "Give. Me. My. Key."

"Jackson I-"

"You heard what I said. Give it to me, NOW!" his voice was laced with venom and alcohol. Lydia couldn't find the strength to say anything else. Her expression became stony and defensive as she wiped her tears, reaching up to a second chain underneath her spider necklace, holding his sacred key. She ripped the chain from her neck, and held it out for him to take, but her fingers didn't want to comply. They stayed in that position, curled around the metal piece of symbolism for as long as possible before it was torn away from her. "This..." Jackson's free hand pointed at the two of them. "Us... We're over. Now, why don't you run back to your secret nerd boyfriend, I'm sure you'd make a great couple. The _bitch_ and the loser. How perfect for each other... pathetic." He spat out, before storming out of the apartment, leaving a stunned and broken Lydia.

Stumbling outside, Jackson was holding back what little emotions he had bottled up inside. His key was still in his hand, and it hadn't really hit him what he had done just yet. As Jackson got into his car, the only thing he could do was scream out of rage and heartbreak as he hit the steering wheel. He dropped the key out of his hand, and let it hit the floorboard before taking off.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile..._**

* * *

There was a faint buzzing in the back of Stiles' head, not related to his Spider Sense, but it was a buzzing that made him a bit paranoid to say the least. He knew something was wrong as soon as he stepped into his room late that night, having been released from the hospital with orders to get plenty of bed rest. Stiles couldn't even sleep in his own bed because of the damage he and Derek had caused during their scuffle the other night. His desk was trashed, his closet was in ruins and the debris caused a lot more damage than Stiles cared to admit.

He laid against the wall, closing his eyes as he had flashes of what happened with Derek flooding his mind, and for the first time since he had gone to the hospital thought about Laura.

"Shi" Stiles held his tongue as he dialed Laura's number. Ring, ring, ring... Stiles thought there was going to be no answer until at the last second there was an answer.

"Stiles? Where have you been?" Cora's worried voice came through the other end gaining a minuscule smile from the teenager.

"I have been in the hospital because of your brother."

"What?" Cora asked with shock in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Well, clearly not if I was in the hospital Cora, you don't usually go there if you're good." Stiles said with an extra layer of sarcasm than normal which gained a growl from Cora.

She sighed, rather loudly at that. "At least, at least you're alive. What happened?"

"He trashed my room, and then me. Said it was the only way because if whoever he's working for had his way I'd be dead. Derek didn't want me playing hero."

"So, he didn't want to hurt you?" her voice was weak, and Stiles had a feeling she was on the verge of tears.

"No, it didn't seem like it. I don't think he wanted to hurt Laura either. Whoever he's working for right now, it seems like Derek can't find a way out easily." Stiles admitted, as his head continued buzzing.

"What are you going to do, I mean... you can't go looking for Derek right now."

"No, I can't, but I have a lead that might be the key to finding him. I can't say much now, but just give me some time." He held the back of his head as the buzzing grew louder and louder by the second until one single image flashed in his head. "I'll call you back."

Getting up as he ended the call, Stiles grabbed the keys to his jeep, and took off for Manhattan.

Before he even finished his second knock, the door opened to the apartment revealing Natalie Martin, looking solemn as she caught sight of Stiles. No words were spoken between them as she stepped out of the way and Stiles entered the apartment. On the couch was Lydia, looking at the wall like nothing existed. Stiles knew that look all too well, it was the look of someone that had their heart broken by someone they loved. Stiles looked like that after Erica broke up with him, which meant only one thing... Jackson had hurt her.

In that moment he wasn't sure what was more important to him, comforting Lydia, or making Jackson pay for hurting her. Ultimately though he decided that enough people had been hurt recently, and so he walked over to the couch and sat down beside her, holding his stomach where the wounds were. Lydia barely acknowledged him, except for the fact she just moved into his arms, laying her head on his shoulder and curled up into a ball.

 _What did she do to deserve having her heart broken, Jackson? What gave you the right to hurt her?_

Stiles held her close, not saying a word. Speaking wouldn't do anything to help, so for now he would just be here, and when she was ready to speak, he would be here.

However, once she fell asleep, Stiles knew there was only one thing left to do while she rested. He had to find out why.

* * *

 **Osborn Manor**

* * *

Stiles was beyond furious as he walked through the hall, having been let in by the Osborn's butler. He didn't know what Jackson had done to Lydia, but he was about to find out. He stormed to Jackson's room with a face like thunder... nobody does that to _his_ Lydia. No one. His fist pounded against the large white door as hard as possible before Jackson finally answered, his eyes red and his knuckles raw.

"What do you want, Stilinski? Come to take something else away from me?" He sneered, hiccuping. Stiles raised an eyebrow but ignored that little comment.

"No, I want to know why you broke Lydia's heart." Stiles glared at him, watching how he stumbled, struggling to stand straight.

"You're one to talk, I know you kissed her. I confronted her and she denied it, but I saw the footage." He seethed and took a hold of Stiles' shirt. "I think you should give me one good reason not to punch you right now," he spat out, as the smell of booze found its way into Stiles' nose.

"Dude, are you drunk?" Stiles asked laughing sourly. When he actually realized that Jackson was in fact drunk, the realization hit him. "You hurt her, didn't you..." Anger began to bubble in Stiles' stomach, rising up like a volcano.

"That wasn't a reason," Jackson hissed, pulling back his fist and swung, but Stiles caught it like it was nothing and continued to glare.

"If you did hurt her, Jackson... I swear to god I'll-"

"You'll what? You're just weak, pathetic little Stiles." He laughed and shook his hand free from his grip. "You two are so pathetic, you're perfect for each other." Jackson's eyes began to sprout tears again, but his face didn't show signs of sadness, rather it was only anger.

"Listen to me, you do NOT want to test me right now, Jackson. What. Did. You. Do?!" Stiles spat out as he itched to stick him to the wall with his web shooters, but restrained himself.

"She broke my heart. She betrayed me, for you... I don't understand why, and to be honest I don't think I want to. I asked her why she did it, and she pretended she didn't know what I was talking about. I, I took my key back from her and told her we were done. Just like you're about to be..." Jackson growled cracking his knuckles without using his other hand for assistance.

Stiles rolled his eyes as he felt his Spider Sense went off. "Jackson, you don't want to do that."

"WHY NOT? HUH? YOU TOOK HER FROM ME! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO COME OUT OF THIS LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED!" Jackson yelled.

"I WASN'T THE ONE THAT BROKE HER HEART! YOU WERE. YOU'RE THE BAD GUY HERE JACKSON! MAYBE IF YOU HAD ASKED ME FIRST I COULD HAVE EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED..." Stiles was yelling now, and as he calmed himself Jackson was closing in on that spark needed for him to actually take action. "If you had asked me about it first, I would have told you everything... because I actually thought you were not the asshat everyone thought you were. I thought you were different, but you proved me wrong. You're a bigger jackass than I thought you were."

"Tell me then, what happened?" Jackson hissed, but Stiles was unsure of where to start.

"Oh, it's a long story... and you're too drunk to remember any of it so I'm not going to bother."

"See, THERE IT IS!" he laughed maniacally. "CLASSIC STILINSKI. YOU SAY YOU HAVE AN EXPLANATION BUT COINCIDENTALLY DECIDE NOT TO GIVE IT."

"Jackson, I'm warning you, stop it now... or you'll regret it." Stiles put his hands out in front of him as a sign of peace, but unfortunately Jackson was having none of it.

"You know what, keep your explanation... YOU AND THAT BITCH DESERVE EACH OTHER!" He screamed as he charged at Stiles, fist raised. Hearing Jackson call Lydia that name made Stiles snap, and acted fast, grabbing the drunk teen's fist and twisted it around his back and threw him against the wall. As Jackson slowly recovered and attacked again, Stiles dodged and punched him in the gut, harder than a human could, and he didn't care. Jackson tumbled to the ground, coughing out a small amount of blood as Stiles' eyes turned pitch black.

"How's that for weak and pathetic?" Stiles pressed his foot onto Jackson's back and bent down so that Jackson could hear the deadly serious, level voice that he was using. "Now, listen to me... No one speaks about Lydia like that, do you understand me? No one. She did nothing wrong. She deserves to be treated with respect. Lydia loved you and you tore that love apart. You did... stop blaming everyone else for your mistakes. You're the reason she's hurting right now, and you're the reason _you're_ hurting right now. You overreacted to something that didn't even happen."

"B-but it did happen..." Jackson wheezed out. "The video footage, and you... you said it was true."

"I told you I would have explained. I didn't say it was true. Whatever you saw, wasn't what happened. Tell me, why would you think Lydia would cheat on you with me? If you haven't noticed, I've been too busy with crap going on with my life to be bothered with a relationship. I've had to deal with a serial killer, you were there remember, with Tracy's necklace? My ex-girlfriend broke up with me to protect me. Tracy Stewart was murdered because I was friends with her. _I've been harassed by a billionaire with a degenerative disease, who by some wild chance thinks I'm his cure, but you don't need to know that._ " Stiles whispered that last bit, enough to where Jackson didn't hear him. "I had to save Erica from a serial killer, without any help. When Flash was against me, you were on my side, believing me over your best friend. I was even beginning to trust you... I thought I was wrong that you were a bad choice for Lydia... you were trying to be a good boyfriend. You got her the internship at Oscorp Tower, you cooked her dinner, you did everything right... except for one thing... you didn't believe her when you were presented with footage that could have easily been edited to look like her... or me for that matter. But, you don't have the brain to realize that, because you were raised as a neanderthal in fine clothes. You're entitled, you think you're supposed to get the best in life. See, what I'm trying to say is Jackson, nobody hurt you except yourself. You destroyed your friendship with Harry when the two of you became step-brothers. And now, you lost the smartest, sweetest, woman you could ever meet, all because that's what you do. You destroy good things, and yet you try to blame everyone else. You're your own worst enemy. I want you to know, and everyone at school is going to know this. From now on, nobody is going to touch Lydia Martin, because if they do harm even a small strand of her strawberry blonde hair, I will make sure they pay. If you ever hurt her again, I will find you, and trust me when I say this, next time there will be no warning." Stiles stood up as Harry opened the door and the teen just walked by him leaving.

Jackson laid there, fists clenched on the floor thinking about what Stiles said. He didn't know what it was but there was something about his words that had got to him, something that seemed like more than just an empty threat, and as much as he hated to admit it... that terrified him.

* * *

As Stiles got back to Lydia's apartment, it was nearing midnight. Quietly, he entered through the door and went to the couch where Lydia was still sleeping, and sat down beside her, taking his shoes off and looked at the web shooters on his wrists. Taking them off and slipping them in his jacket pocket, he took the jacket off and laid back. As he did, Lydia's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, noticing his presence.

Stiles looked at her, seeing how vulnerable she was at this moment and felt his stomach tighten up. She should never have been hurt like this, and it hurt him to think that he was the source of it. Jackson had seen the video of them kissing in the freezer... that had to be it. But, if he had seen it, he would have known they were in a deadly situation, so it must have been altered, by someone Norman knew obviously. Norman said he wouldn't bring Lydia into this, he promised. Stiles would need to confront him, but not now while he was still recovering. A few more days and he'd be ready to deal with whatever Norman had for protection this time. If Stiles hadn't gotten his powers, Lydia wouldn't have been hurt, but then again... Erica might have died... and a lot of other people would have died as well because of Harris and Norman.

"Y-you knew." Lydia whimpered, causing Stiles to smile lightly. "How?"

"I'll always know when you need me, Lyd." Stiles said affectionately, to which he was given a tight hug as she leaped into his arms, causing a grunt of pain to escape his lips.

"God, I missed you..." she whispered, as she nuzzled her face into his neck and Stiles closed his eyes. "I don't want to lose you again."

"Who said you lost me in the first place?" Stiles asked her, to which Lydia hugged him tighter as he turned and lightly kissed her on the side of her head. "I'll always be here..."

"C-can you stay here tonight?" she asked innocently, to which Stiles nodded. "Thank you."

"Just one question, I hope you have a blanket and pillow for me," he chuckled to which Lydia nodded as she stood up and moved towards her room. Stiles turned his head as Lydia stopped in her doorway and glanced at him.

"Well, are you coming?"

"Uh, uh... I thought I would be sleeping here on the couch..." he stuttered, as a shade of red spread across his face.

"Come on, otherwise no pillow."

Stiles hopped to his feet, and immediately stumbled before regaining his composure, having leaned against a chair all nonchalantly.

Walking into Lydia's room, Stiles watched Lydia grab her pillow and a spare blanket and lay it on the floor beside her bed. Stiles laid down on the floor as Lydia climbed into bed, looking down at him as she laid her head on her pillow.

"Stiles, did he go after you?" she asked, to which Stiles shook his head. "Good..."

She closed her eyes, and soon enough was asleep as Stiles laid there awake staring at the ceiling. He had already told his Dad he was staying at Lydia's tonight, so he wasn't in trouble. For an hour he stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. He kept hearing Lydia toss and turn in her sleep, mumbling words he couldn't understand and finally he heard a whimper come from her. _Nightmares_ , he thought.

He sat up, and carefully climbed into bed next to Lydia, wrapping his arm around her, and almost immediately he noticed her entire body language change as she relaxed and moved closer to him. With her in his arms, Stiles made a silent vow that no matter what happened, he would protect her... even with the dangers he faced now because of his powers.

He fell asleep, and while the past two days might have been hard on the both of them, they slept peacefully through the night.

* * *

 ** _Thursday, September 6th_**

* * *

That day Stiles did nothing, spending the afternoon with Lydia making sure she was okay when she got out of school, and rested. It was honestly the calmest it had been since he had gotten his powers, and he was grateful for it. Although he had a feeling it was just the calm before the storm. Tomorrow was the day, the day of the bank robbery.

Stilinski was in the process of getting everything put into place, getting a team together to take on the group of robbers, and Stiles couldn't help but feel he had done the right thing. He was stepping out of the way and letting the professionals take care of this.

Today was a day where Stiles was essentially just a normal teenager again, albeit some injuries caused by Derek, but besides that today was one of the few days nothing bad happened. There was no peep from Jackson, nor Cora... hell not even a cough from Norman.

That was probably the strangest thing about this to be completely honest. He couldn't imagine why Norman would do what he did without making some grand statement about it. Stiles thought Norman was probably waiting for the wall-crawling teenager to come through his doors again. He laughed at that thought, knowing it wasn't going to happen.

School was something that Stiles hadn't thought of, but thankfully Lydia brought his homework to him so it wasn't that big of a deal. Stiles was feeling a lot better, and his wounds were almost healed by this point so he was eager to get work done.

Once done with his homework, Stiles worked on clearing his room of the debris that was left. Lydia didn't know he had cleared his room, but when she walked in and saw him pick up the broken picture of the Stilinskis she hugged him lightly as she saw a tear run down his face.

"Stiles, what happened in here?"

"The consequence of my actions."

"What do you mean?"

"Lyd, just don't worry about it. Okay?" Stiles asked her, to which Lydia immediately became angry over.

"I can't not worry about it. Stiles, you nearly died."

"I didn't though." Stiles replied, pulling his phone out. "Hey, you mind if I call Scott and see if he wants to come over? It'll be like when we were kids," he asked her changing the subject, and while Lydia was annoyed he was eager to get out of that subject, she smiled and nodded. "Awesome. Hey, I'll meet you downstairs in a minute."

"Okay."

* * *

After Scott showed up, the three spent the night playing games, studying, and watching movies when Stilinski came home early, about seven and saw the group enjoying themselves so he ordered a couple pizzas for dinner, and decided to call Melissa so she could have something to eat as well when she got off.

Melissa showed up right after the pizza showed up, and the rest of the night was filled with laughs and smiles because for once, it was like the old days. There were no worries, just happiness in the Stilinski household that night.

By the end of the night though Melissa felt the need to get a lasting memory of that night, so she pulled out a camera and had the four get into position. Stiles and Lydia stood on the left of Stilinski as Scott was on the right of him while Melissa put the camera on a timer. Lydia laid her head on Stiles' shoulder as Melissa got over to the four and stood behind Scott, right next to Stilinski. As the flash went off for the photo, Stiles for the slightest moment felt a buzz in the back of his head, yet dismissed it.

When Stiles looked at the photo he smiled thinking about how it looked like a legitimate family photo. Melissa and Stilinski were the parents, Scott and Stiles were brothers, and Lydia... well, she looked like she was with Stiles.

Stiles lost his smile when he thought about how the two of them looked, and immediately thought about the pain he's been trying to keep her from today. He knew Jackson hadn't gone to school today thanks to a call from Harry, but it didn't mean the news about their break-up hadn't...

Lydia had her mind off it while she was here enjoying herself, but he knew that the moment she got home she would be faced with what happened last night.

By the time Lydia said goodnight and went home, Stiles could already tell it was going to be a long night for her. However, as Stiles laid down on the couch that night and felt only remnants of his injuries, the all too familiar buzzing that was going off in the back of his head kept him awake for hours, and for whatever reason he felt the need to go into his lab and stock up on web cartridges. As he did, he would fall asleep, all while that ungodly buzzing in the back of his head echoed like a police car's siren.

* * *

 **FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th, 2012**

* * *

 **6:30 A.M.**

* * *

Stilinski entered the lab to find his son sprawled out on his desk, drooling on the table. The officer smiled lightly as he rubbed his son's hair. He knew what the risks were doing this takedown today, this might be the last time he saw Stiles.

"I love you kiddo..." Stilinski sighed as he grabbed Stiles' shoulder. "I hope you know that." With no time to lose today, Stilinski left the house.

As Stilinski shut the door, it cemented what was coming.

* * *

 **7:01 A.M.**

* * *

"Come on Lydia, you can't just sit around there at your house all day just so you can avoid you-know-who." Liz Allan informed Lydia as the strawberry blonde laid on her bed looking at the ceiling. "You need to get out of the house."

"I'm not going to school, that's for sure."

"How about this, you and I just skip school today and go to the mall, have some quality girl time?" Liz offered, to which Lydia just smiled.

"Sure, why not? I'll be at your house in a little bit."

* * *

 **7:30 A.M.**

* * *

Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off as his eyes opened and immediately he rose to his feet, grabbing his web shooters and went downstairs, sliding on a red jacket, zipping it up as he turned the television on while he dialed Scott's number hoping to take his mind off of this worrying sensation his entire body was feeling.

The black vans pulled up near the bank unknowing that there were police cars hiding in the alleys, snipers on the rooftops, and yet the cops didn't know that they were outmatched... Stilinski was watching the vans with a set of high power binoculars... his ballistic vest was fresh, with his pistol in his holster on his side, helmet on for extra bit of protection.

"Suspects spotted." said Stilinski as the men got out, all wearing dark clothing, three women and five large men were looking around with machine guns at their waist, and out of the other van three men came out with rocket launchers. But inside there was a pod, containing a person... on the label was The Omega.

The gunmen noticed all of the officers lying in wait and then proceeded to lock and load their weapons. 

* * *

"Hey, Scott." Stiles heard the drowsy hello, meaning that Scott had just gotten to school after being forced out of bed by his mom.

"Hey... where are you? I didn't see your jeep in the parking lot." Scott yawned through the phone as Stiles kept his eyes peeled on the television. At any moment he felt like his entire world was going to come crashing down. He didn't know why, but he knew that he had to keep his eyes on the television screen.

"Uh, I'm just running late, that's all. So, did you hear about Lydia and Jackson?"

"Yeah, they broke up. It's the biggest gossip in school right now, and apparently you're the reason as odd as that sounds."

"That's what I heard. I guess Jackson thought he saw some video of Lydia and I kissing. He broke up with Lydia, and after I found out I went to speak with him about what happened. Jackson was so drunk I'm pretty sure he thought I was a figment of his imagination."

His eyes watched as the television screen changed to the words that made his heart drop into his stomach. BREAKING NEWS.

 _"Mieczyslaw, go!"_ came the disembodied voice of Madame Web as the video screen showed the bank robbery, and there were injured police officers.

"Jackson hasn't even been at school the past... what the? Stiles, you just get that notification about a bank robbery? Isn't that the one your Dad was going to stop?" Scott received no answer. "Stiles?"

Stiles' phone laid on the couch, as the front door slammed shut, cracking the wooden frame.

"Stiles? You there?"

* * *

The gunfire was what caught Lydia and Liz's attention as Lydia hit the brakes, watching as hundreds of people began running away from the source. Lydia and Liz got out of the car and immediately saw what the commotion was.

Just a hundred feet from them was a massive shootout, and Lydia could see in the very center of it was Officer Stilinski.

"Oh my god..." Lydia covered her mouth as they heard screeching tires and looked back to see a giant garbage truck speeding down the street towards them. Liz grabbed Lydia and pulled her to safety as the garbage truck destroyed Lydia's car, and spun to a halt. Out of the back came multiple men with guns and all Lydia and Liz could do was take cover behind a mailbox and another car. 

* * *

"COME ON!" Stiles screamed at himself as he launched into the air, jumping the length of three cars and web zipped high above the city, landing on a wall. Flinging himself around the corner using only his left hand, Stiles propelled himself forward, looking at the Empire State Building right ahead of him.

 _I need to get down to the bank as fast as I can. There's thirty blocks beyond the Empire State Building. If I use my web as a way to launch myself forward off of the top of the building, I should be able to cover a lot of ground, and quickly._

Stiles ran along the wall, shooting a couple of webs into his hands, creating a makeshift mask, like a surgical mask while he put on his sunglasses. He had to get moving.

Attaching a web to the skyscraper, Stiles landed on the wall, rolling to his feet as he ran upwards towards the vantage point up top. As he reached the top of the building, he shot a web onto the top of the broadcast tower, and let his feet leave the wall. Flying around the top, Stiles went soaring above the entire city, feeling his heart stop beating momentarily as he dived down towards the street like a meteor, clenching his fists tightly.

* * *

He felt the last bullet leave his gun, and grimaced as he ducked down behind the car, grabbing his walkie-talkie. "Officers down, I repeat... Officers down. Send backup!" Reloading, Stilinski poked out of cover and shot, hitting one of the gunmen. It happened too quickly, as Stilinski saw the bullet pierce the gunman, he felt the white hot pain surge through his chest, piercing through his vest. Touching the spot, Stilinski noticed blood on his hand. Four more shots rang out in a split second, and Stilinski fell backwards as he felt the bullets enter all along his torso. 

* * *

The entire city of New York had to be watching now. Scott watched the scene off of his phone, wondering if Stiles was seeing this. Harry and the other students all watched the officers get taken down. Even Flash and Kong stood there holding their breaths knowing that the officer that had just gotten shot was Stiles' father.

To be completely honest, it seemed like all of the officers were going to die, but then... the impossible happened.

Lydia heard it, among the hellfire of bullets, something could be heard in the distance. It was mechanical sounding, in a way it reminded her of a pop can opening. _Thwip! Thwip!_

 _You could hear amongst the gunfire the distinct sound of that web connecting to a building..._

She couldn't move, paralyzed in her spot as her eyes fell upon one of the gunmen who had stopped firing, having heard the same thing as her.

"What is that?" he barked out, pointing into the air as Lydia followed the direction. In the air was a figure, swinging from a rope like substance. The figure came flying down, slamming onto the top of the police car Officer Stilinski was hiding behind.

All eyes were on this figure clad in blue jeans and red jacket. One of the gunmen went to shoot the figure, but the barrel of the gun was clogged up with webs, and the red and blue figure had his arm stretched out.

"Hey! How about you pick on someone your own size?!" he called out, slowly standing up as he looked at the officer beneath him.

The figure, none other than Stiles Stilinski clenched his fists tightly as he saw his father smile at him, almost knowingly before his eyes closed.

"No..." Stiles growled as he turned his heads to the men responsible for this.

In one single moment, Stiles went from being perfectly still to being faster than what the gunmen could understand, landing behind one of them, and slammed him into a wall, sticking him there with a couple of web shots.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Liz asked, enamored from their position as they watched the man in the red jacket take on the men seemingly with little to no effort.

"I don't know..." Lydia whispered. 

* * *

The air reeked of gunpowder, and along with it came the sight of smoke and a ravaged street. As Stiles landed on a wall, having taken down five of the gunmen, he glared at them with anger and contempt, while they stared at him with shock and fear.

A sound of a gun firing was what sent Stiles into motion once more, jumping off the wall as a bullet pierced the spot he had been at just a moment earlier. Landing on a car next to the man who shot, Stiles laid in a comedic fashion, looking at him. "Yoo-hoo, over here." Before the gunman could react, Stiles jumped to his feet, spinning to where his foot connected with the gunman's head, knocking him out, sending him crashing to the sidewalk.

Lydia kept her head down behind the mailbox as she tried to catch a better glimpse of that man in the red jacket taking down the bank robbers.

Using two web-lines connected to the light poles on the street corners, one on each side of a robber, the Cross Species came flying down with a double kick that took one down, while he grabbed the other's shirt collar in the process, throwing her onto the hood of a car.

He recognized her from the news as Cassandra Michaels. Michaels tried to kick Stiles but he bent his back halfway to dodge the kick, jumped up and kicked her with enough force to send her into the back of a car that was open.

"Don't worry sweetie, we'll dance in a bit," Stiles said as he rolled out of the way of a punch, swinging his arm around knocking the thug to the ground and punching him in the chest. "Learn that on the playground?"

His Spider Sense went off as multiple bullets came at him, Stiles opted to creating a web shield to block it before slamming it down into the ground, creating cover. "Alright, time for my years in Call of Duty go to work." Stiles poked out of cover shooting web balls at the gunmen, hitting a few of them. "That's twenty points! Oh god, I'm turning into Flash and Kong..."

As he went to poke out of cover again, a thug that had been sneaking around him came up and grabbed him from behind and threw Stiles over the web shield into the line of fire. His fingers pressed the pressure pad on his palm, a web shield encasing his body as it crashed into the ground, multiple bullets striking it left and right. No noise or movement came from the webbing cocoon, making Lydia and Liz afraid that the man inside might have died as two of the gunmen walked up with concern and poked the cocoon. Nothing came out or made any noise, so the two smiled believing the threat was dead. They were wrong. The cocoon exploded as Stiles launched out and head-butted the taller gunman and threw him into a car, denting the door.

The guns clicked and popped as Stiles stood his ground shooting webs quickly enough to block most of the bullets, his Web Rush speeding his reactions up and blocking the projectiles. He began moving closer as a little beep began playing and Stiles gulped before the webbing stopped shooting. Stiles looked at the web shooters to find they were out of fluid, and he growled internally as he noticed there were no bullets shooting right then, his head lifting up to see a rocket flying at him as his Spider Sense caught the danger.

"Oh f-" the rocket hit the ground, and Stiles was hit by the explosion throwing him across the street and onto the sidewalk, tearing his web mask in the process.

Lydia went to go move, but Liz held her back in fear, the strawberry blonde instinctively feeling the need to run out there and make sure he was okay; Liz just had too much of a grip on her for that to happen. Stiles laid there, just barely awake as his Web Rush began to go in and out of its on state, seeing Lydia's look of terror as his eyes closed, her face being the last thing he had seen.

It took one slip up for Liz to lose her grip and Lydia went running into the gunfire to reach the man, collapsing onto her knees as she shook him, not paying attention to his face. She tried almost everything to wake him up until an explosion struck a window a few floors above them, glass shards falling down towards them. Suddenly the man awoke and covered Lydia as the shards crashed down upon the two, piercing his skin making him groan. He let go of her and looked at the car they were taking cover behind, and knew they needed more room to not get hit.

Stiles grabbed the bottom of the doors and with only a fraction of his strength flipped the car onto its side, he turned to Lydia who looked at him with fear, concern, and joy all mixed together. "Go, run!"his voice was muffled by the mask, covering his true identity, but the strawberry blonde couldn't move. "What's your name?"

"Ly-Lydia."

"Lydia,I need you to run. Can you do that for me?" he asked as more bullets struck the car, the gas tank having been pierced, and now gas began leaking onto the street. "Lydia, run!" She finally seemed to come to her senses as she ran, Stiles jumping over the car as astray bullet struck the fuel, the car quickly becoming engulfed inflames. Stiles knew the blast was going to hit Liz and Lydia, so he quickly refilled his web shooters before forming a large web shield that would hopefully block the blast from reaching them.

Needless to say, it didn't fully contain the blast. 

* * *

Liz knew she would have died, and she would have, if not for the car that slid in front of the blast saving the two girls, and she looked to see the man who had already saved Lydia, twice in a matter of two minutes, and her. She watched as Lydia tripped from the concussive force of the blast knocking her off balance. Liz couldn't believe that the helicopter above hadn't been attacked yet, as the sound of the propeller could be heard over the gunfire.

There were additional police officers showing up, but were unable to get any closer without being immediately taken down. To think that everything was riding on one guy was terrifying, but at the moment that guy in the red jacket was their only hope to get out alive.

Stiles had never been in a situation like this before (not that he wanted to either), but in hindsight, he was doing a lot better than most people would in their first fight like this. Sure, it may have been his first _official_ fight,but he had been in a fight before, just not of this magnitude.

He had barely managed to throw the car in the way of the blast before it had reached Lydia, and his heart and stomach almost dropped to the floor out of fear. His hands were trembling as he turned around to face the gang of robbers, and that was when his eyes darkened. He knew that as long as they were still in possession of their weapons they would be able to keep attacking, and Stiles would not let that happen. He had to stop them, no matter what. However, that being the case he couldn't really just get their weapons with there being some distraction. Even then if he managed to grab the weapons, Stiles would have to make sure the weapons didn't fall back into their hands.

The moment he moved, a barrage of bullets shot out, the teen having to take cover behind the police cruiser that his father was lying against. Stiles noticed blood was reaching the street, and he knew he had to do something. As much as he wanted to do something to help, he knew that if he couldn't stop the robbers and they progressed any further, any chance of his father surviving would begone. 

Now, Stiles cracked his knuckles and looked at how much fluid was left in the cartridges that were currently in the web shooters. He launched over the car, his Spider Sense alerting him to the bullets flying towards him, but Stiles didn't care as he used his Web Rush to enhance his surroundings, his body convulsing as his body bent into an assortment of shapes that allowed him to literally dodge the bullets. The robbers looked at him with fear as the teen reached them and slammed his fist into the ground. They went to shoot, but Stiles had managed to count each of the bullets left in each of the guns, and they had ran all out.

"Bring him out!" one of the men barked as Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off like a nuclear bomb as he heard a roar from one of the vans, and slumped his shoulders.

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me."

Out of the van came a man with glowing blue eyes, and wolf like features. Everything seemed to freeze as Stiles slowly stepped into the street to look at the man who had once been his friend.

"You just had to play hero, didn't you?" the werewolf asked him as Stiles shrugged.

"I don't know, but I take it I'm no longer friends with you on Facebook now?"

The werewolf roared at him in response to which Stiles sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll take that as a yes. I don't want to fight you."

"Too bad... you brought this upon yourself., and now people are going to suffer because of it."

"I can't let you hurt anyone else!" Stiles growled as the two charged at each other, launching into the air with their fists drawn back.

Looking back on it, Stiles would come to realize this was the moment Spider-Man was born.

* * *

 ** _END_ _OF EPISODE FIVE_**


	44. Showdown

_Chapter Forty-three: Showdown_

* * *

 ** _EPISODE SIX: COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY_**

* * *

"Why are you doing this?!" Stiles asked as he and Derek traded blows in the middle of the street.

"I don't have a choice!" Derek growled menacingly as he slashed at Stiles as he jumped backwards out of the way.

"You need a manicure, yeesh!" the teen chuckled nervously as he jumped up and spun, kicking him in the jaw sending the werewolf crashing backwards onto the concrete.

"Enough. With. The. Jokes!" the werewolf hissed launching forward, claws aimed at Stiles' chest, and he had seen this coming from a mile away. With a flick of his wrist, Stiles sent a strand of web out, connecting with Derek's chest, and once he had a hold, a smile could be seen through the torn mask.

Pulling the web Stiles spun, sending Derek into a giant web spiral that even dizzied the robbers watching. As Stiles felt his Web Rush ability start, his eyes fell upon a group of the robbers and smiled as he slung the web line towards them, sending a wolf rocket right at them. As Derek crashed into them Stiles was reminded of bowling, and immediately laughed.

"Strike 3! You're out!" he cackled, doing the umpire motion before leaping towards the robbers, ripping a door off of the garbage truck nearby and smashed it into the werewolf to keep him down for another couple of seconds. Stiles shot two webs onto the ground and soared down with a kick that rendered a robber unconscious, and threw his elbow back into the truck hard enough to pin another gunman between the truck and a car. "We're not done yet pal."

Doing a flip over the truck, Stiles freed the man, and headbutted him, sending him crashing to the floor. A shot of web and he was pinned down as well. There were still seven of these guys roaming around, and now their attention was on him. A growl came from behind him and Stiles sighed... make that eight.

The werewolf's hand grasped the back of his neck and lifted him into the air. Stiles poked his head around and looked at him with a sheepish grin. "Is now the right time to say there's something stuck in your teeth?"

Derek just smiled menacingly at him, showing more teeth if that was possible. "My what sharp teeth you have grandmother," he chuckled, misquoting Red Riding Hood, before the werewolf rolled his eyes and sent him flying across the street.

He could hear the gasps coming from the people watching, and as he did he also felt his Spider Sense go off. He looked down towards the street as he landed on the wall, standing on his feet to see Derek grabbing the very car door that Stiles himself had hit the werewolf with.

"Oh karma you cruel mistress..." Stiles lowered his head as he rolled out of the way, upwards towards the rooftop while Derek launched onto the bottom of the wall, clinging with only his claws. "So this is what we're doing huh? Come on boy, come here!"

Stiles stood his ground, watching every move the werewolf made as he propelled himself up the wall using only his claws as grip. The speed was incredible, even for a supernatural creature. Stiles clenched his fists and ran down the wall towards him. They had twenty floors between them, and Stiles knew this probably looked like it belonged in a superhero film to be completely honest.

Letting his feet leave the glass foothold, Stiles flew down towards Derek, and to get more momentum he used a web to pull his body downwards as he pulled back his fist with all of his strength behind it.

Derek did the same, and as they closed in, the punches collided creating a shockwave that shattered the windows nearby. Stiles could feel Derek's hand break and went in for the opening. Tackling him through the window, Stiles rolled over a desk and unloaded the rest of the web cartridge onto the werewolf, hoping that would detain him for long enough.

"Stay here!" Stiles ordered while quickly reloading his web shooters, before diving out the window to deal with the rest of the robbers, and as he did he saw one of them had just noticed the news helicopter and had went for a rocket launcher. "No!"

"If you are just tuning in, I repeat, a massive shootout is in progress in the Financial District. There are officers down. SWAT is unable to get closer as the suspects appear to be in possession of rocket launchers. They – oh my god, I think they're pointing the rocket at the copter. Move!" the reporter said as the rocket shot, the man in the red jacket web zipping up into the sky after it.

For the citizens of New York, they would never personally know the chaos that happened today, but they saw a glimpse; there were no possibilities that the helicopter would get out in one piece, the rocket having aimed right at them. The helicopter's passengers were standing and the doors were wide open, and any sudden movements could have meant they would fall out. Stiles couldn't do anything to stop the rocket as it collided with the tail of the helicopter, sending it spinning through the air, knocking the reporter out of the back in the process.

Everything froze, as Stiles tried to figure out what to do. He grabbed the reporter, and created a web net to the side, tossing her to safety as he zipped up to the helicopter.

Their screams were deafening as Stiles grabbed the two others, the cameraman and the pilot, before throwing them out to the net as he climbed onto the side of the helicopter to figure out how to stop this thing from hurting people. All of a sudden as a plan came into mind, Stiles watched a hand reach around the front of the aerial vehicle and he groaned.

"I'M KIND OF BUSY HERE!" Stiles howled as his eyes turned pitch black as Derek climbed around the side.

"Oh don't mind me!" he growled back as Stiles rolled his eyes and jumped forward punching the werewolf in the stomach.

With every punch he threw Stiles connected a web to the walls of the nearby skyscrapers and onto the helicopter. Dodging Derek's attacks Stiles launched into the air, and pressed down on the release nozzle for the web fluid and sprayed it as wide as it could to cover the helicopter as it fell.

It was still falling far too quickly, and Stiles did the one thing he could, landing on the wall and shot two lines onto the helicopter and pulled with all of his might. His feet slid across the glass as he strained to slow it down, and it did. Upon it coming to a stop in the middle of the street, just feet above the concrete, Stiles released his grip and took a deep breath, just as Derek came in for another attack. Stiles couldn't react before he had claws stuck into his back and shoulder and he fell to the street below.

The concrete shattered beneath them, and as Stiles tried to move Derek removed his claws and slashed at him, ripping his hoodie to shreds, revealing parts of his hair.

Pulling the teenager off of the ground, Derek threw him onto his back, with the teen gasping in pain. "That the best you got, pal? I can do this all day."

Derek stomped the Cross Species' face three times, and as he stepped back, Stiles touched the spot where his right lens had been for his sunglasses, as it was now shattered.

Opening his eyes Stiles clenched his fists, climbing to his feet as he saw one of the black vans starting to take off.

"No!" Stiles shot a web into the front wheels, causing it to stop moving and one of the men got out, and Stiles' eyes grew wide in shock at who it was. It was the thief from the wrestling event. That guy with the frosted hair, he was the one Stiles let get away with that money...

"Omega! Hold him off! I'm not going down for killing that cop!"

Now, Stiles didn't know if this guy was referring to his father, but it was enough to send him over the edge as he ripped his sleeves off and blasted Derek to the ground and began punching him as hard as he could, breaking the skin on his knuckles in the process. In a singular moment Stiles lifted his eyes towards the frosted hair thief and saw Cassandra Michaels stand by him, grabbing his arm.

"Brad, we need to go!"

"I didn't sign up for killing cops!" _Brad_ hissed, as Cassandra pulled him away, and they ran off. Stiles went to run after them, but Derek grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the ground, pinning him down, sending his claws into the teen's stomach.

"You couldn't just be human, could you Stiles? Hmm? You had to play hero! He was going to let you live! He wanted me to kill you... and now, well... I'm going to have to, but now you're going to have to suffer. I'm going to have to kill Scott, your Dad if he's alive... Scott's mom, Osborn's son, Erica, and I'm going to make sure Lydia has the longest, and most painful death out of everyone because you can't live without her... and you know what, she's going to be first..." he growled, hitting Stiles hard enough to daze the teen, and climbed to his feet as his eyes fell upon Lydia Martin.

"No," he groaned, rolling onto his stomach as his eyes completely turned pitch black and he pushed himself to his feet as something painful itched at the front of his arms. Lydia looked at the werewolf with fear as he walked towards her ominously, and Stiles felt like time itself had frozen as he stumbled forward, clenching his fists tightly. "NOBODY IS GOING TO HURT HER!"

Stiles closed the space between them, as he threw a punch, and out of his wrists came bone stingers, one of which pierced Derek's back, causing shock to surge through the werewolf's body.

"I won't let you..." Stiles roared as he sent the other stinger into the werewolf's back and slammed him against the garbage truck. Stiles jumped back, and looked at the stingers protruding from his wrists and smiled. "Who needs claws when you're a spider?"

Derek turned to look at him as they both looked at their _claws_ and charged at each other once more.

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, sorry for the radio silence on my end with no author notes lately but just wanted to say this is officially the halfway mark for "Season Zero" being completed. There are twelve episodes, and we are on episode six right now.**

 **Uh, to "Theflash300" I will update Arrow when I can, I have writer's block for it at the moment. I'll update as soon as I can, but for now it's kind of on break.**

 **I will be back soon with another update so stay tuned and I will see you guys soon.**


	45. Promises

_Chapter Forty-four: Promises_

* * *

A brief moment later and Stiles had Derek pinned to the wall, with the stingers protruding from his wrists impaled in the werewolf's shoulders. Stiles was bloodied, cuts all over his body and his mask was now mostly torn and the sunglasses were destroyed. In fact the sunglasses were on the ground now, broken into a million pieces. He kept digging the stingers deeper into Derek's shoulders, wanting him to feel the pain he had the past few days.

"Who is this guy, Derek? Huh? Who is the guy that is making you do this?"

"I can't tell you, he won't let me..." Derek growled, weakly as his claws retracted and his eyes went back to normal.

"Why not?"

"He gets in your head, won't let you do anything of your own free will. You can talk back, until he tells you not to."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's not normal, I'm not even sure he's supernatural. I think he's got powers..."

 _"My my, Omega... don't go divulging confidential information to our competition! I'm sorry child, but you can't continue getting in our way. Omega, stop playing with your prey and just end him already._ " came a voice that Derek AND Stiles both heard, making Stiles gulp in fear before watching Derek's eyes glow icy blue once more and the werewolf pushed him off.

"I guess you were holding back, huh?" Stiles groaned, as he steadied himself. Derek didn't reply as he launched an all out attack on the teenager, and Stiles had no time to respond as he was sent crashing through a window and into a table.

Derek came in and pummeled him into the floor, cracking the tiles and created a crater in the middle of the room. Stiles was having issues breathing as horrendous surges of pain traveled through his body. Stiles had only felt this pain only twice before, when Derek had trashed his room, and when he gave himself up to Norman to protect Lydia. He was close to passing out as the fight was slowly tearing away at his endurance, and right about now, he felt depleted.

"Oh c-come on... I thought... I thought we we-were, p-pack..." Stiles stuttered through pained gasps as Derek lumbered over him and grabbed him by the throat.

"Pack... you're a science experiment gone wrong... you're not a part of a Pack. You're an abomination... abominations should be put six feet under." Derek lifted him up and slammed him into the ground once more, and as Stiles closed his eyes, he knew this would have been the end if it were a couple weeks ago, but then again, he wasn't the same person he was before.

Derek watched as the teen's body slumped over, and his breathing stopped before smiling, although a stray tear ran down the side of his face.

Turning around, Derek caught sight of the strawberry blonde and her acquaintance, and extended his claws fully. "Don't you worry Stiles... I'll take good care of Lydia. Playing hero never ends well..."

* * *

 _I thought, I thought I was done for. I won't lie, I thought I was completely done for and I couldn't get up and stop Derek. I had tried, saved a couple of people, but for what. I couldn't save Dad, I wasn't able to protect Lydia and Liz from Derek. I wasn't what my Mom wanted me to be. As I laid there, practically dead I saw my entire life flash before my eyes, and while I saw a lot, only a few things got me moving._

* * *

 _ **"Personally I think you'd make a great superhero. Maybe not at the level of like Iron Man, but I think you could do great things if you were in fact a superhero."** _Scott informed him that day he got his powers after the field trip, having stopped at his car. (Chapter Fifteen: Metamorphosis)

 _ **"Yeah, you are my hero..."** Erica _sighed as she laid her head upon his shoulder walking to the theater nine months earlier. (Chapter Twenty-two: Consequences)

 ** _"Your mother had this philosophy, that with great power comes great responsibility."_**

 ** _"What?"_**

 _ **"It confused me when she first said it to me, but when I thought about it some I understood her. If you have the ability to do something good, it wasn't an option, you had an obligation to do that. Look, I want you to make me proud, and you do that every single day. It doesn't matter to me if you're a nerd, a geek, even a jock. You could be a superhero, and Stiles... I wouldn't care. You're my son, and no matter what you do, I will always be proud of you."** (Stiles and Stilinski conversation in Chapter Forty-one: A Mother's Philosophy)_

Now, as these memories flashed before Stiles' eyes, Derek was closing in on Lydia and Liz, mere feet away now. Lydia shook slightly as all of a sudden a bullet struck Derek in the arm, making them all look at the source of the gunshot, which was a weak Stilinski aiming his gun as he leaned against the side of the police car.

"You're not touching her..." Stilinski hissed, as his eyes fell upon the teen in the red jacket and narrowed his eyes. "There's a young man who can't live without her waiting for her at home..."

Lydia's eyes grew wide at the statement, as Stilinski winked at her while Derek pulled the bullet out of his arm and roared at Stilinski.

"I love you, kiddo... I'm leaving the rest to you."

Derek launched forward at the officer, while Lydia's scream echoed throughout the street, and the teen's eyes opened. Within an instant, everything fell silent as Stilinski looked to see Derek was being held by a single web.

"Hey, I thought you were going to put me six feet under the ground... well, I hate to tell you this, but I'M NOT BURIED YET!" Stiles roared pulling the werewolf to him, and stabbed him through the stomach with his stinger, right when his father fell to the ground once more.

Derek looked shocked at what Stiles did as the teen removed the stinger. "You better run and tell your _boss_ that the Spider is coming for him. The next time you and I see each other, it'll be when he gets put in handcuffs. You're not a monster, Derek... you're not in control. You said it yourself, you're not in control."

"Wh-what?"

"I figured it out, buddy... don't worry, Laura's okay." Derek smiled lightly as his eyes glowed blue once more and he ran away, launching into the air, climbing the walls and out of sight, as Stiles held his side tightly from where he had been hit. Four fractured ribs by his counts at the very least. Lydia looked at the teen who kept his head down as he rushed over to an officer and picked him up.

The other robbers had escaped during his scuffle with Derek, so now all that remained was saving the officers that were left alive.

"Lydia, right?" he asked, not looking towards her. She nodded, although Stiles didn't have to see that to know it. "I need you to take your friend and get to safety. I'm going to take the injured officers to safety."

Grabbing Liz, she took off for the police barricade as Stiles lifted multiple officers into his arms and leaped to the ambulances waiting, knowing that their injuries were less severe than what Stilinski's was. Once done with the last officer, Stiles lifted his father onto his shoulder and shot a web into the sky, swinging for the hospital as quickly as he could.

"Dad, if you can hear me, stay with me... please."

Stiles swung quickly, reaching into his father's pocket and pulled his phone out, dialing Laura's number.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"It's Stiles, nice to see you're finally up. I need you to do me a favor if you've seen the news. Grab a pair of clothes and meet me at the hospital! It's a few blocks away from your loft. I need a change, immediately!"

* * *

By the time Stiles had arrived, Laura was already waiting there with clothes. Stiles changed his clothes within twenty seconds, hiding the bloodied outfit behind a dumpster before carrying his father into the hospital.

Scott had arrived nearly ten minutes ago, expecting to see Stiles in there, when he saw the teenager walking in, with scratches on his face.

"I NEED HELP! PLEASE!" Stiles screamed, and while Scott would have expected pure panic coming from the teenager, only anger and contempt showed on his face. There was no stutter, no fear showing. It was like a completely different person was in front of him now, and Scott couldn't believe it. This could not be the Stiles Stilinski he remembered.

It didn't matter though, as Stilinski was severely injured, and that was all that mattered now. Stiles got his father onto a gurney and watched him be wheeled away. At that moment was when Stiles felt all of his energy deplete and he fell to the floor then and there.

He woke up a few minutes later in a chair with Scott checking him out, almost peeking at the red stain underneath his shirt, when the teen blocked him from doing so. "I'm fine Scott, just tired, and worried."

"Dude, you collapsed... and you're bleeding. You're not okay."

"Scott I said I'm fine, and that's final." Stiles hissed coldly, to which Scott held his hands up in defeat. "Sorry, I'm just a nervous wreck that's all."

Stiles ran his hands through his hair as he remembered what his father said that night in his hospital room and how he looked at him before he passed out during the fight, and just like that a startling realization hit Stiles all at once. His father knew...

* * *

Before long Lydia had come through the doors, and Stiles gladly welcomed her into his arms, taking in every ounce of her presence, not wanting to let go. Flash, Kong, Danny, Erica, and Harry showed up as well over the course of the next couple of hours. There was no surprise that Jackson didn't show up, he was probably in bed with a hangover right about now if he was right. Stiles hadn't let go of Lydia in that entire time, always having her close as if this was the last time he could ever be near her. Looking at her as they sat in the waiting room, Lydia resting her head on his shoulder, Stiles kissed the top of her head. He could feel her shake a little bit out of surprise, to which he smiled. It would be the last time he smiled for a while as Melissa walked through the door, with a solemn face and Stiles felt like his heart had just stopped completely.

The hospital was filled with nothing but bad memories for Stiles following the loss of his mother. He spent months watching her slowly wither away, freaking out, screaming that he was trying to kill her. There were days where she didn't even remember him, and Stiles had pretty much given up all hope that she would remember him, but on that day when she at last passed away, she remembered him. He should have been happy about that, but it didn't even phase him; the loss of his mother had shaken Stiles for years. It was the worst time of his life. During that time, Stilinski was all Stiles had to keep him from closing himself off, and even then, Stiles found himself locked away in his room away from society. He thought if he kept his Dad eating healthy foods, keeping the Cholesterol levels down, help out where he could, he thought that perhaps he could prevent anything bad happening to him.

That, is something Stiles had foolishly believed, that way he could cope with his mother's death and move on. Now, Stiles was older, he would be seventeen in April, and he felt like everything was just going to break down now.

Stiles blamed himself for this, and now at any moment Stiles could become an orphan. He couldn't bare the thought of living in a world without his father. All these powers, and he couldn't prevent that. When he had seen Melissa walking over to him his heart dropped, all because of that single look on her face.

He had seen that look before, it was the one she had when things were going downhill, that the situation was looking bleak. Stiles wanted to break down right there, but he didn't, he needed to make sure.

"Stiles, your father is out of surgery."

"How, how is he?"

"Severe concussion and broken ribs. When he went down a bullet hit his leg, breaking the femur. It's not that bad, but he won't be walking for a bit."

"So he's going to pull through?"

"For now... the concussion was severe enough that because he passed out, it's impossible to say whether or not he has brain damage. I need you to prepare yourself Stiles... even if he wakes up, in the end he might not be the same."

"What do you mean, not the same? Could he be... mentally handicapped?"

"It's a possibility. There's numerous effects that the brain damage could cause. Amnesia, short term memory loss, cognitive disabilities, behavioral or physical disabilities. There's no telling what he'll be like until he actually wakes up. Right now he's in a coma, and whether he wakes up an hour from now, or a year from now, we just have to wait."

"Can I see him?"

"They're getting his room set up right now, I'll let you know when you can come and see him."

* * *

After an hour Stiles was finally able to go see his father, and when he entered the room he had tears running down his face as he saw all the machines hooked up to Stilinski, and the bandages strung on him.

His stomach flipped upside down at how pale he was, and Stiles knelt down near the bed, crying.

"Hey Dad... I, I'm sorry, if I hadn't told you about the link you'd be home right now. I... I stopped them. Some got away, and I'm going to get them. I swear to god I'll get even if it's the last thing I do. They're going to be brought to justice. I love you... please, come back Dad... I," Stiles stopped there as he thought of how he and his father had been alone all those years... "I need you. If you wake up, I will do whatever I can to help you, cases... and any police work. I'm different now. I saved those people today. If I can stop the robbers, maybe I can save more people. Please Dad... come back, for me." said Stiles as he hugged his father's unconscious body, letting the tears flow freely.

When his mother had been in here, he thought about how he wouldn't see the two of them dancing in the living room to music Stiles thought was cheesy, but they loved. He had thought about seeing his father happy and holding the love of his life. He thought that everything would be lost if his mother had died.

Now, what would Stiles miss? He'd miss everything... how his father would worry sick about him even if he merely went to the store and didn't come back within a couple hours. He'd miss the lectures... he'd miss riding in the police cruiser and getting fast food from Burger King or even McDonalds. Stiles would miss seeing his father smile at the littlest things Stiles did that were unnecessary. He'd miss the embarrassing moments where Stilinski would drop him off at school when Roscoe wouldn't start up. The bonding moments where they would sit back and watch television, where they argued over stupid things. Stiles would miss coming home and seeing Stilinski passed out in the chair. He'd miss Stilinski telling him just how proud he was of Stiles.

"You told me Mom's saying that she lived by... and it's because of you that I'm going to do it as well. I'm going to use my powers to find the robbers who shot you and got away. I'm going to make sure they're brought to justice, I promise... I love you Dad... please, wake up soon. I need you."

* * *

When Stiles walked out of the hospital room, there was a new thought on his mind... one of determination that would set the remainder of his life on a course. Stiles saw Lydia look at him, and as he reached her, he grabbed her hand and made a silent promise that when everything was said and done, he would come back to her. It was a silent promise that he sealed with a light kiss to the forehead.

"I gotta go... I'll be back soon. I promise."

Stiles let go of her, noticing how much Lydia resisted letting go, and frowned as he headed towards the door, leaving the support of his friends.

Stepping outside, he was met by Laura standing beside the edge of the building with sunglasses on. "So, what's the plan?"

* * *

 ** _END OF EPISODE SIX._**


	46. The Hunt Begins

_Chapter Forty-five: The Hunt Begins_

* * *

Ever wonder why things happen to you? The decisions you make today are the ones that will transform you into the man you will become for the rest of your lives. In the search for justice, it can quickly change to revenge if not careful.

Stiles opened his eyes as night fell upon the city of New York once more, and he felt the pain radiating through his chest making him queasy. He took in a deep breath as he slowly rose to his feet, lifting himself off of Laura's couch having needed to rest after the fight. To be honest he was still exhausted but he needed to find these guys before anyone else got hurt. It was hard enough for him to think that fourteen officers had been murdered without a second thought, and four more were in critical condition, Stiles' own father included.

He hadn't gone home, not when he figured someone might have gone to check on him. If they showed up while he was passed out, and with those injuries it would have been easy enough to connect him to the guy in the red hoodie that fought the robbers today, especially considering it was Stiles who walked into the hospital with his father, not the guy in the hoodie.

Speaking of which, Stiles noticed the news reports were all about the mystery vigilante responsible for saving countless lives. He would have smiled previously at the thought of being called a hero, but now he didn't care for the word. Stiles examined the bandages around his torso and sighed, seeing how stained they were in the short few hours they were on. He knew they were going to be bad, but it certainly didn't mean he enjoyed it.

Removing them, Stiles went into the bathroom and reapplied fresh gauze, noting how they were already starting to heal, which made him sigh in relief. Putting on a clean shirt, Stiles went out to the kitchen where he found Cora standing there at the table stitching together Stiles' red jacket.

"I figure if you're going to run out there in a _uniform_ it would be better if you didn't look like you came out of a paper shredder."

"Thanks, but you don't need to do anything else to it. I think being in a flamboyant red and blue outfit isn't going to help me track these guys down. I've got something at the house that will work better. I'll be back shortly."

"You never did tell us the plan," Cora reminded him, to which Stiles shrugged. "Are you going to tell us the plan?"

"Yes, it's just right about now, if I tell you what I have planned you're going to call me crazy."

"Stiles, you're a Cross Species created from a genetically altered spider and the blood of a werewolf, hell I'm a werewolf. I don't think I could call you crazy."

"Hold that statement for an hour or two before you say that."

* * *

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Cora asked shocked by the words that had just left Stiles' mouth. He stood there, with his arms crossed in a dark green denim jacket, with a black t-shirt underneath. Stiles shrugged, as he pulled out the red mask he had worn when he went to Ryker's Island and had his talk with Cletus Kasady, noting that it had been a good idea that he had kept the mask after all.

"Look, you don't have to agree with it, but one of the guys that got away, I need to figure out who he is. Besides him, the only person I know was a part of that crew was Cassandra Michaels. She called his name out, but I need a last name."

"So that means you have a right to break into the NYPD and use their files?"

"I didn't say it was the most marvelous plan I've ever had. I merely said I had one." Stiles informed her as he put the mask on, and grabbed a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, slipping them on. Looking at the table Stiles grabbed a black stocking cap and put it over his glasses and mask, completing his outfit.

"Yeah, and you going around like that is going to make it a thousand times worse." she pointed out, motioning at the mask, to which Stiles rolled his eyes, although she couldn't see that.

"Look, I don't think it's a good idea to swing around Manhattan right now without something covering my face after the city watched me swing around during that fight." Stiles growled in discontent with her criticism. "I get it, you're worried. I'm the only one that's got any idea as to who these people are. I'm the only one that can stand against Derek in a fight if it comes to it. I don't really have a choice."

"Yes you do, choose to stand back and let the professionals take care of it!"

"STANDING BACK IS WHAT GOT ME INTO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Stiles hissed, banging his fist on the table. "I should have done something more to stop that from happening. If it wasn't for me, my father would still be at home, sleeping. Instead he's fighting for his life in a hospital and he may never wake up again, all because of me. So forgive me if I'm not going to stand back."

Stiles adjusted his web shooters before hopping onto the ledge of the balcony with a single leap, traveling a good twenty feet in a matter of a second. Looking back at Cora, Stiles waved goodbye. "I can't, and if you've got a problem with that, just stay out of my way Cora."

He dove off the ledge and disappeared into the concrete canyons of Manhattan, with only the sounds of his web shooters being shot heard in the distance.

Cora groaned, laying her head down on the table.

"He's going to be okay." Laura assured her as she walked out of the bedroom. "If anything, he might be the only one who can do this."

"How? He's just one person, and he's hunting down our brother."

"No, he's not hunting Derek, he's trying to save him."

"Are you sure, because the way Stiles sounds right about now, it sounds like he's out for more than just justice."

"Do you remember how you were after the fire, and we lost everyone? That's how Stiles is, right now. He has basically lost the only remaining member of his family, and he is trying to atone for the mistake he made by bringing those people to justice."

Cora nodded, looking at her sister. "Do you think he'll be able to find Derek?"

"Of course, he found you after all."

* * *

 **NYPD (Stilinski's Precinct)**

* * *

Stiles crawled in through the ventilation system, and into the records room with ease. Lowering himself to a computer, Stiles looked up the man he had seen at the robbery earlier that day. A man with frosted hair, mid forties, a short beard, and named Brad. It was a broad search to say the least, but after a couple of minutes Stiles found his man.

 _Brad **MICHAELS**? _ Stiles' eyes grew wide with surprise seeing that this man was Cassandra's brother. There was a few things on Brad that Stiles noted, with minor Breaking and Enterings, grand theft auto, and armed robbery. Nothing involving attempted murder or murder in any degree. Brad took a huge step up in crime from just minor thefts.

 _Hmm, nothing about where he stays. Nothing to show for his movements even though he IS on parole right now. It's like he just vanished after he got out of jail a couple weeks ago. The police don't have a way to scan for his face at all times, especially with everything else going on in the city. Guy moves like a ghost, so if I'm going to find him I need to find something that could track him. Unfortunately, only one group I know of is capable of doing that. The problem is, is that their base isn't exactly on level ground._

Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off, as he launched into the vents, right as Captain Stacy entered the room. The teen took in a deep breath of relief, having been thankful he wasn't seen, watching the Captain sit down and lower his head.

"Stilinski... I'm sorry," Stacy whispered, making Stiles frown out of regret. Of course the Captain felt responsible for the atrocity at the bank. He was the one who gave the okay for the team to be there.

Stiles adjusted himself and pulled his mask off, letting his hair fall down upon his forehead. Wiping it to the side, Stiles looked at the Captain with sorrow. This was all Stiles' fault, whether anyone knew the truth or not. Without Stiles, those officers wouldn't have been involved with the robbery.

Waiting a few minutes, Stiles kept silent while the Captain was in the room, and upon his departure the Cross Species slowly lowered himself back into the room and printed Brad and Cassandra Michaels' mugshots out before getting out of the precinct.

As he swung through the city Stiles put his mask back on and hurried to the Empire State Building where he would land upon the top of the tower and perched gracefully, taking a deep breath as he felt the wind go through his mask. Focusing on the image of the two criminals, Stiles activated his Spider Sense watching the dark blue curtain cross the city, encasing it in a matter of a seconds. There was no gold anywhere out there, meaning he couldn't sense where they were.

"What the hell? It worked with Laura, why doesn't it work with them?" Stiles growled, annoyed. Clenching his fists tightly Stiles immediately began thinking.

 _Okay, so whoever is controlling Derek must be able to do it telepathically, meaning he's either a mutant or a metahuman, or whatever people with altered DNA not caused by the X-gene are called. I'm pretty sure they're called Mutates, but metahuman just sounds better. It's possible this guy might be able to block my senses. If that's true I don't know what I'm going to do without going to extreme lengths to find them._

Stiles looked towards the sky seeing the clouds above, and knew that somewhere up there, cloaked was the one place he would be able to track the Michaels. There was only one problem with this, he would probably be taken down on sight. Police, he could handle, thugs with guns, he could handle them too. Government agents with the ability to take down that green monster called the Hulk, now they were another issue.

Who knows, maybe he might be unlucky enough to have them find him first. Wouldn't be the first time with his luck.

Stiles dove off the tower and swung to his house, deciding to grab what remained of his web cartridge supply.

* * *

Climbing through his window, Stiles removed his mask and stepped into the hallway when he felt his Spider Sense go off and he heard a click of a gun. Turning his head he saw a dark skinned man with an eye patch standing there, decked out in a trench coat and a gun in his right hand aimed at him.

"Well, well, well... it's nice to finally meet you Mr. Stilinski."

"So, you're Nick Fury, huh? You're about as scary as I imagined you to be." Stiles chuckled nervously. "I'm almost surprised you found me. What tipped you off?"

"You were swinging around from those ropes of your's for a few days now, it's not that hard to track, especially when you're decked out in a red and blue outfit."

"Touche... even though those _ropes_ are actually webs." he nodded with a half smirk. "I take it that you're not here because you want to thank me for what I did today?"

"No, although you did a good thing saving those officers, even if your father was one of them. I'm not here because of that Stilinski, I'm here because you broke into a police precinct."

"Ah, I can explain that..."

"I bet you can. You're coming with me."

Stiles held his hands up in surrender as the super spy grabbed his hands and put them in handcuffs. "Oh, shiny! You shouldn't have."

"I see you're one to make jokes."

"Ah, jokes are my coping mechanism for when I'm about to wet myself out of fear." Stiles laughed sourly as he was walked out of his house and into the back of a car. "I don't suppose we're going to Disneyland, are we?"

"Just be quiet and enjoy the ride."

The car shook for a moment and Stiles watched as the car suddenly lifted off of the ground, making his eyes grow wide with shock. "I'm totally in a super spy car!"

"I suppose you are. Now shut up."

The car flew into the air, soaring away from Queens to high above Manhattan, and before Stiles knew it he was above the clouds. Watching ahead of them, Stiles saw something very, very large start to appear out of nowhere. Leaning his face against the glass Stiles saw the giant flying ship known as the Helicarrier in full view and he felt like he had just entered a totally different word.

"I wish I had my phone."

Suddenly, Stiles felt something hit the back of his head and all he saw was darkness.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Stiles found himself in a cell, with Fury standing outside of it smiling at him. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty, we need to talk."

Stiles was confused for a moment as he stood up off of the bed he was laying on and saw the giant symbol behind Fury which was lit up like a beacon... He was in the Helicarrier.

* * *

 ** _EPISODE SEVEN: S.H.I.E.L.D._**


	47. Opportunity Knocking

_Chapter Forty-six: Opportunity Knocking_

* * *

In that moment when Stiles opened his eyes and saw the menacing figure of Nick Fury, the director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division (otherwise known as S.H.I.E.L.D.) standing behind a single glass cell door with his one eye directly on the teenage Cross Species, it was like his entire body had been paralyzed.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty, we need to talk." Fury ominously told him with a smile on his face, to which Stiles just tilted his head in confusion as he stared at the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo glowing behind Fury, almost like he was in a commercial promoting a tv show on ABC or the CW. Stiles could feel a single sweat drop rolling down the side of his face and even though he had faced off against a serial killer, Norman Osborn, bank robbers, an assassin, and even a werewolf he was absolutely terrified of the man in front of him.

There was nothing coming out of Stiles' mouth because he was just unable to form any words right now.

Fury seemed to notice this and smiled, chuckling. "Aw, what's wrong? You weren't able to shut up on the way here."

Stiles just scratched the back of his head, knowing that he was well in the spider's web so to speak now.

"I would apologize for knocking you out, but I did tell you to shut up." he informed him, to which Stiles stumbled to the side, leaning against the wall of his prison.

"Uh... yeah, I guess." he groaned, to which Fury held up a photo of his fight against Derek yesterday.

"You know, that's something else, what you did out there kid. You've done this kind of thing before?"

"No, not really."

"Not really?" Fury repeated, with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"I haven't done anything like _that_ before yesterday. I've done some things with my powers to help people before, but nothing on that scale."

"Hmm, how long have you had your powers?"

"Seventeen days ago."

"Hmm, seventeen days huh? You know, I'll admit I'm a tad bit impressed Mr. Stilinski. For someone with your level of experience, what you accomplished out there on the field was a one in a million chance shot."

"I just did what I could."

Fury nodded, motioning to the devices which he had taken off of Stiles when he was knocked out. "What are these?"

"How did you... right. Never mind. Those are my web shooters, it's a device that basically takes the place of my lack of organic webbing. I can't do _EVERYTHING_ a spider can... so the web shooters make up for it."

"What are the webs made out of?"

"An adhesive formula I made... based on work my mother couldn't finish before she passed away." Stiles admitted, leaving Lydia out of it so she wasn't brought into this mess. It was bad enough that she was there at the bank when the attack happened, he couldn't bring her into the mess he had willingly gotten himself into.

"It's impressive, for someone at your age. So, what are your plans Stilinski, after all you went through a lot of trouble to break into a police precinct."

Stiles shrugged, unsure of what to say. He wasn't exactly certain what his plans were other than finding Brad and Cassandra Michaels. He didn't know who it was that shot his father exactly but he knew that if there was a way for him to find the men and women responsible for the robbery then those two were his targets.

"I need to find the people behind the robbery."

"Why? Why does it have to be you? There are plenty of others who are more than capable of finding them."

"It's not that I'm more capable... I'm the reason the cops were at the bank in the first place. I'm the reason so many of them died, I'm the reason why my father is in the hospital in a coma and he might not wake up ever again. I don't know about you, but I made this my responsibility the moment I gave them the evidence to go to the bank."

"So, you're doing this out of guilt?"

"It's not guilt, it's me owning up to the responsibility I had. I could have gone myself and stopped them, without there being a shootout or anything. I didn't, and because of it people got hurt. I'm just not wanting anyone else to get hurt because of my mistake."

Stiles took full responsibility right then and there, knowing that he had the chance to stop all of this from happening, but he chose to sit aside until it was too late. Now people were mourning because Stiles had done nothing. He knew that he couldn't bring the people that died back, but what he could do was make sure they did not die in vain.

"Then perhaps this meeting may work out in both of our favors Mr. Stilinski. I'm looking for members of a group of extraordinary people, and I believe you could be one of them, if trained properly. You have potential, but on your own you'll be more of a danger to others than anything. In the battlefield you have to focus on your goals, and stick to it. You have to have the resolve to get back up after getting knocked down."

Fury opened the cell and stepped forward to Stiles, with a grim expression on his face. "No matter how hard you get hit, you need to get back up and keep fighting."

"What's this group for?"

"Let me tell you something, there is an idea, to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we need them to fight the battles we never could. The world is changing drastically out there, _Stiles_ , and you are living proof of that. What happens if a group of these superhuman criminals that are cropping up decides to team up, and cause so much havoc that we can't stop them?"

"So, you want me to join a team of _superheroes_ , is that it?"

"No, I want to know if you would be a good fit for it. Right now you're street level, trying to break through the clouds. I know you want to find, what's his name... Brad Michaels?" Stiles went to say something but held his tongue, lowering his hand. "I get you want to find the people responsible, kid. I get it... but you're facing people you've never dealt with before. Derek Hale is just the start of what they have in their power. A werewolf is small stuff compared to some of the things they can use."

"What do you know about them?"

"Enough that if you can find out who their leader is we can put them away, permanently. I take it you have an idea of what their leader might be like."

"I've got a tiny idea, but that's it. I've never seen him..."

"Nobody has, other than the people that work for him. Here's the thing, nobody can I.D. him because they never remember his face."

"Really?"

"Hmm, I've got you interested..."

The teen nodded, as Fury held up the web shooters in his hands, keeping them in front of Stiles. "What's the deal, you want to train me to be a better _hero_ and so I can take this guy down?"

"That's a simple way of explaining, another is I want to see what your potential is, and you could use the lab's resources to give yourself an upgrade."

"Working with actual funds instead of spare parts? That would be nice."

Putting his hand on Stiles' shoulder, Fury motioned at the doorway. "I see this going two ways... you come with me, and we can make you what you need to be to get justice for those officers, and your father... or you can stay in here and face charges for breaking into the police precinct."

Stiles narrowed his eyes in disgust, knowing there was going to be a catch. "I guess when you put it like that I can't exactly say no, can I?"

"I thought you might it see my way. Come on, let's go get started."

"Where are we going?" Stiles asked as he followed Fury out of the cell and towards the hallway as Fury tossed him the web shooters.

"We're going to take you to the next level." 

* * *

**_Saturday, September 8th_**

 **8:30 A.M.**

* * *

Jackson opened his eyes as the events of last night came across his mind, remembering how he had drank himself into unconsciousness once again, causing a groan to escape his lips out of disgust at his own humiliation.

"What an idiot... I..." he burped and the taste of alcohol and stomach acid filled his mouth causing him to roll over to throw up into a bucket Harry had brought into him last night before he fell asleep.

"And he's awake..." Harry chuckled popping his head into the room with a cheesy grin seeing Jackson at this level of self pity. "You know, just be glad I brought that in here otherwise your fancy shoes would be toast..."

"Sh-shut uppp, blarrgh!" Jackson hissed out as he continued to vomit into the bucket to which Harry just leaned against the doorway.

"Day 3 and going strong Jackson. At this point you're going to give yourself alcohol poisoning and die. I hope you understand this."

"What do you care?" he asked as he lifted his head, the whites of his eyes blood-shot and red. "You're enjoying this you sick twisted son of a..."

"Ah, yeah. I'm enjoying the fact you ruined your relationship with Lydia and are blaming it on Stiles. I'm loving it." Harry sarcastically retorted to him as Jackson sat up, squinting.

Jackson looked at him with confusion and scratched his greasy hair, having not showered in the past couple days. In fact all Jackson had really done was lay in his room, sleeping and drinking his time away. That and the first day was because Stiles had hurt him to where he couldn't even move the morning after. It was like he had been hit by a wrecking ball to be completely honest, who knew that dweeb had that much strength behind him?

"Do I look that bad?" he asked, to which Harry nodded.

"You look worse than I did when I went to Sarah Lincoln's party to help Stiles get over Erica. That hangover was the _worst_!" Harry chuckled as he sat down beside Jackson and held up a bottle of water he had kept to his side that entire time. "Here, you'll need it unless you want to stay in bed again."

"I'm not doing that, you ass." Jackson growled, taking the water from him and took a few drinks, washing the taste of his beer doused vomit out of his mouth.

"Look, I get you're in this mood right now, but go take a shower, get cleaned up, because I'm taking you somewhere, god I don't know where but you are done moping in this room, it's like every vampire's hideout in here."

Harry went to open the curtain when Jackson grabbed his arm. "Don't open it... I will have to literally kill you if you do that."

"Fine, be a drunk vampire... just know if you want to actually do something I'm leaving in an hour! So you better hurry up, because if you don't go I'm going to Stiles' place. He probably needs company more than you do right now."

"F-(burp)k him..." Jackson frowned to which Harry's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Dude, did you not hear anything about what happened yesterday?"

Jackson raised an eyebrow as Harry sighed, rubbing the ridge of his nose out of disappointment. "What happened yesterday?"

When Jackson found out, he wished he could take his words back right then and there. 

* * *

**2:00 P.M.**

* * *

_So, apparently going to the next level means reading a giant rule book for hours on end. I had something else in mind, but I suppose it's better than being at home going nuts thinking about what happened. I should be at the hospital with Dad, but I made a promise to him, and I can't break it._

* * *

"Coulson, this is Stiles Stilinski... he's the one I went to meet last night. He's going to be working with us for a while."

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Stilinski," Coulson smiled at him with such innocence behind it as he shook Stiles' hand.

"Please, call me Stiles. I never quite imagined I'd be in here."

"Nobody ever does, trust me kid." Coulson smiled as they came onto the bridge and Stiles noticed Fury go to stand at a long line of screens in front of him, and a peculiar thought came across his mind.

Stiles stepped next to Fury, acting like him, while using a patch of web to cover his left eye just like Fury, and looked at the screens.

"How in god's name do you even see these?"

"Oh my god, it's another Tony Stark..." Coulson coughed out in shock, trying to stifle his laughter as Fury slapped the back of Stiles' head.

"I turn."

"That must be exhausting..." Stiles chuckled lightly, keeping a straight face while doing so as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Not nearly as exhausting as hearing you talk all day."

"Hey, you're the one that put me in a room and made me read a five hundred page rule book! Super reading is not one of my abilities by the way. You're lucky I don't need adderall anymore otherwise that would have been a fiasco in there."

"Oh the rule book was unnecessary. It was more to keep you busy long enough to get a hold of someone."

"Who?"

"Me..." came a voice as Stiles turned to see appear out of a circular portal was a man dressed in strange robes and a red cape draped around him that seemed to defy gravity. "Dr. Stephen Strange..."

"Uh, Stiles Stilinski..." the teen smiled as he held his hand out to greet the peculiar man in front of him, gaining a shake of his hand, as Dr. Strange tilted his head in surprise.

"Well well, Stiles my friend, we have some work to do... you don't have a lot of time."

"Time for what?"

Strange smiled, as he clapped his hands together. "I'll be frank with you... Fury believes you need to be at the level of some of his top agents, and that would require years of training, however... that isn't going to work. That's why he's brought me here... I'm going to make it possible for you to have a year's worth of training in three months."

"How are you going to make that happen?"

"Dr. Strange here is a sorcerer..."

"You're a wizard..." Stiles gasped, sounding like Hagrid from Harry Potter for a moment, to which Fury slapped him once more. "Sorry."

As Strange took the time to explain to Stiles what his abilities were and what it meant for him to be "The Sorcerer Supreme" Stiles quickly realized he was totally out of his league.

"What I'm going to do is have you be in a time loop, so upon reaching a certain point time will automatically rewind, promptly when you are too exhausted to go on with training. I've done a time loop once before, bargained with a dangerous entity in another dimension. Didn't end well for them. I'll adjust it to where you are aware of what's happening and you can adjust accordingly. One other person will be in the loop with you to help you train."

"How long am I going to be in the loop?"

"That's to be determined... it all depends on how fast you can adapt to the training. The loop could take mere hours, or if you're not able to learn from your mistakes quickly, weeks."

"But no time will pass out here?"

"No, it won't. Not until the loop is broken."

"Alright, then I suppose we better stop wasting time then."

Stiles followed Dr. Strange out of the room as Coulson stayed behind with Fury, whispering in his ear. "Do you think he's going to regret saying yes?"

"When Agent Romanoff gets done with him today, he will."

"Hmm, I wonder if Stark's still mad about the last time he met Romanoff."

"Considering he sent us a letter saying to send you and not her, I would say he is."

Coulson smiled. "I would expect nothing less from him. I just hope Stilinski understands what he's about to put himself through."

Fury smirked, thinking of the pain that Stiles was going to go through in the future while training with S.H.I.E.L.D. and sighed contently. "He definitely doesn't, but I'm not going to put that image in his head. Give him some comfort in thinking that this isn't going to cause his bones to be broken."

"I feel bad..." Coulson frowned as Fury stepped aside towards the stairs to head down to the glass overlooking the city. "Do you really think he's a good fit for the Initiative?"

"I'm not one hundred percent about it, but based on what I saw yesterday, and the reports that he was the one to take down Adrian Harris that night gives me hope. This is just opportunity knocking, Coulson." 

* * *

**5:00 P.M.**

* * *

There was a strange silence that fell over Norman's study as he stared at the computer screen, watching the footage from the bank where the mysterious red and blue clad vigilante had been, and he smiled knowing that it had to be Stiles Stilinski under that red hood.

"So, you really know how to bounce back, don't you Stiles?" Norman gritted his teeth before he heard a knock on his door and in came Jackson, looking slightly better than when he woke up this morning, but was still drunk nevertheless.

"I think we need to talk... _Dad._ " Jackson smiled at him, saying the forbidden word for the first time and immediately Norman's attention went to his step-son, feeling that itch in the back of his head signalling his inner voice would be coming out soon.

"What about, exactly?"

"Did you... did you fake that video you showed me? Of Lydia and Stiles?"

Norman blinked and immediately his fists clenched as he rose to his feet with a strange grin on his face. "Why, why would I ever do that to you my boy? I would never intentionally hurt you for no reason. Actually, why what's bringing this up?"

"I've been thinking about what Lydia and Stilinski said to me. Lydia didn't know what I was talking about, even cried as she kept denying it, while Stilinski told me that I didn't know what was going on because there was more of a story there. I just want to know who to trust."

"I was the one that showed you the footage right? I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt any worse than what you were. You had the right to know about them."

Jackson had this feeling Norman was hiding something but he couldn't tell what it was, or whether or not that this paranoia was warranted. Norman walked over and hugged Jackson, which sent nervous chills down Jackson's spine.

"I would never lie to you, _son..._ " 

* * *

**Sunday, September 9th**

* * *

 **3:00 A.M.**

* * *

Stiles relocated his arm as the time loop broke and the agent he was training with, Boyer if he remembered right walked away with a smile on his face. The teen rubbed his face where stubble was forming as he had not shaved in a matter of five days now, and he was exhausted. Having your ribs re-broken and having every bone in your hand, arm, and leg shattered multiple times were not good for his health. At least that time loop reversed the wounds, thankfully.

Dr. Strange had given Stiles a chance to breathe for an hour or two in real time to rest and eat to regain his strength mentally, and soon enough Stiles was back at it again. By now he had been through about two weeks' worth of training (if you could call it that) and he wasn't really sure if he had learned anything from this. Boyer had taken Romanoff's place because she had to go on a mission around the time Stiles went to eat, so he couldn't face off against her in the second round. Out of all the people to face, Stiles didn't expect a redheaded beauty like her to be the one he went up against, and lost to.

Sitting down Stiles looked at his web shooters, thinking about how he could update them with S.H.I.E.L.D. resources.

"You did better that last time. Actually managed to counter all of those attacks."

"Hey, it's not as easy to dodge when I'm not allowed to use my agility." Stiles retorted to Strange as he walked over and took a seat beside him as his cape, which apparently had a mind of its own floated beside them doing it's own thing.

"Sometimes your powers aren't going to help you in a fight. You're going to be out of your element eventually, so that's why they're doing this. To prep you for those moments."

"Sure, if that's what you want to believe." Stiles sighed flipping his web shooters onto his wrists and laid his head back. "Alright, I better get going. I should go do one lap around the city, see if there's any leads I can find."

Climbing to his feet, Stiles grabbed his mask from his pocket and slid it on, with the sunglasses and stocking cap to finish it off before he dived off the side of the Helicarrier, free falling towards the city.

For Stiles there was no sleep that night, or day even as he searched through the city for the men and women responsible for the robberies. Stiles stopped a few petty crimes, stopped a mugging, stopped a car chase and continued on his way.

By the time he got home it was already afternoon and he was exhausted, falling asleep in his lab as he tried to refill his web fluid supply. 

* * *

**8:00 P.M.**

* * *

Stiles was awoken by the sound of his floor creaking and he shot to his feet, seeing Agent Coulson standing in the doorway, with a cheerful expression on his face. "Evening... hope I'm not bothering you."

"No, you're fine... I fell asleep by accident. I take it Fury wants another training session?"

"Yeah, but that can wait until you get out of school tomorrow. I'll be waiting at three, try to not be late."

"Alright. Wait, you came here to just tell me that?"

"You forgot your phone on the Helicarrier. By the way you need to text back someone named 'Scott.' He's been texting you constantly."

"Oh, wonderful... he's probably worried sick because I never came back to the hospital..."

Coulson patted him on the shoulder and took his leave as Stiles reached for the mask on his desk and took in a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to go do.

* * *

 **Monday, September 10th**

* * *

 **To: Lydia  
From: Scott**

 ** _Sent 6:42 A.M._**

 _Hey, can you meet up with me in a little bit? I'll buy you breakfast._

 **To: Scott**

 ** _Sent 6:50 A.M._**

 _Yeah, just let me get ready and just shoot me a text where we're going to eat._

 **To: Lydia**

 ** _Sent: 6:51 A.M._**

* * *

 _Okay, see you there._

* * *

Lydia had received the location of a diner she had wanted to take Jackson to but he never really caved into the idea, so she was a little uneasy about the locale, but otherwise it was a beautiful place that Lydia loved. The restaurant was warm and welcoming, the bright walls were beautifully painted with murals of flowers and different quotes instantly putting her at ease.

She entered the doors to find Scott sitting at a small table near the back of the diner resting against the window. Part of her hoped that Stiles would have been there with him, but she figured it was too much to ask seeing how Stiles had more important things to worry about than spending time with them right now. His father was the main priority right now, and whatever Stiles had to do, she knew it was the best course he could take.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Lydia smiled at him as she sat down, resting her purse on the seat next to her as Scott gave a weak smile back at her.

"It's fine, I just got here a couple minutes ago myself."

"So, what's up?"

Scott immediately lost that minuscule smile and developed a look that could only be described as a cocktail of worry and sadness. "Have you heard from Stiles by chance?"

Lydia almost choked on air as she heard the question, figuring Stiles might have been in contact with Scott seeing as he had been silent when it came to her. He hadn't even talked to Scott, so that begged the question of where he was.

"No, I haven't... not since the hospital."

"Me neither, and he's not responding to any of my messages. I'm getting worried."

"Stiles is fine, I'm sure of it." she said hopeful, as she gave a fake grin to hide her own worry.

"You know why I'm worried Lydia... the last time he was all quiet on us, he ended up facing the Identity Thief. I don't want to see him do something stupid because of what happened."

"This is different, his father is in a coma and may never wake up."

"Don't remind me. Mom hasn't really left his side since he was admitted. I walked in his room to find her sleeping in a chair right beside him. I don't know if you understand what the deal is between them, but they've been on and off for years now. Currently, in the _off_ stage. They still care about each other. I don't know if she can handle him, d-dy..." Scott couldn't bring himself to say it.

Lydia didn't know what to say other than 'it's alright' and those words would hold no weight, so she kept quiet as she grabbed his arm and gave it a light squeeze.

"I don't know why I'm focusing on them, I mean... I guess I should be asking you if you're alright, after all you were there at the bank."

She blinked in surprise, having tried to stop thinking about the robbery so much, feeling it was going to end up giving her nightmares, but it was more the kind of dream little girls have about being rescued by their _knight in shining armor._ For Lydia it wasn't a knight in shining armor, but the red and blue clad hero that saved her life.

"I, I'm fine... I'm just glad that guy in red was there." she breathed out, almost longingly as she thought about her masked savior.

"What was he like? You met him, right?"

Lydia thought about it, nodding to him. "You know how you meet someone with power, like say Norman Osborn... and they're normally intimidating, like you have to walk as light as a feather so you don't get in trouble? With him, he was soothing, he made me stop feeling afraid for a few seconds while he was right there... it felt like I wasn't in danger, that no matter what happened I wouldn't be hurt. He actually gave me hope, you know?"

"So, kind of like Stiles?" Scott laughed lightly, knowing how Stiles and her were when they were younger. Lydia immediately blushed, feeling her cheeks become hot and gulped trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Wh-what?" she laughed nervously, as Scott leaned back with a bright grin.

"He still likes you, you know that right?"

Lydia nodded, rubbing her hands together. "I'd be stupid to not know," she said in almost a whisper as the sound of a mechanical _thwip_ appeared, as they both turned their heads to see the figure swinging from a web by the diner, holding a thug by the waist, moving faster than either of them could keep track of.

They had a feeling they were going to see a lot more of the _web-slinger_ as the news would come to call him from now on.

* * *

 **Queens, New York**

* * *

 **9:20 A.M.**

* * *

As Lydia entered class she was slightly surprised to see Stiles sitting in his seat, with bags under his eyes and exhausted. He didn't look up from his notebook as she took a seat beside him and carefully put her hand on his arm, making him jerk in response to look at her.

"Hey, it's just me..." she whispered, as Stiles calmed himself. He didn't sleep after he woke up to Coulson being in his room so he was physically drained after being out there on _patrol_ so to speak for nearly 11 hours, then having to come to school to maintain appearances. "Where have you been?"

"I've been around..." he said, blinking slowly as Lydia looked at his hands noticing the reddened knuckles, which was normally attributed to a fighter.

"What happened to your hands?"

"I've decided to take up boxing."

"Am I supposed to believe that?" she asked unamused by his excuse. Stiles sighed, not trying to make a scene of any kind with her right now, he was just too tired to even come up with a good excuse, although he thought boxing was a good excuse but whatever.

"No."

"Fine, I'll just forget about it then..."

Stiles felt his phone vibrate as he looked down, pulling it out to find it was a message from Coulson.

 _Stilinski, Director Fury wants you here in two hours for liftoff. Do what you have to and get here._ Stiles groaned internally as he waited until the class was over and grabbed Lydia's hand before she walked out the door.

"I need to talk to you..." he was barely in the hallway with her, and even though she was upset he was hiding things from her, she nodded and followed him to the locker room where he stopped, running his hands through his hair nervously.

"What's going on with you Stiles?"

"I, I uh... I've gotta go do something, and I'm going to be gone, for a while. I can't talk about it, at least not right now... I made a promise to someone and I need to keep it. I know I was just gone the past couple days, and I should have been there, I know... it's just..."

He was rambling, he knew it, she knew it... and yet he couldn't stop himself. It wasn't until she took a hold of his hands that he stopped talking. Stiles knew what he had to say, but how was he going to do this without hurting her?

* * *

 ** _Two Days Ago._**

* * *

 _Stiles had just been taken out of the time loop for the first time, and he was broken, unable to move as his bones healed following the reversal of the loop, and Fury stood over him with a smile. "How's it going, kid?"_

 _"Painfully."_

 _"Well, I did tell Romanoff to not go easy on you. Now, come on... you need to hear what I've gotta say."_

 _Stiles nodded, fighting to his feet as Fury walked into the Helicarrier, leading him to a room with a bed and other necessities waiting. It was the cell he had been in, but changed to be an actual room now._

 _"What's this?"_

 _"This is going to be your room while you work with us."_

 _"Wait, I'm going to stay here? When?"_

 _"In a few days... we've gotta move and for you to accomplish your goal... you need to be here on the carrier to train."_

 _"B-but, I've got school. My family, friends... what about them?"_

 _"Mr. Stilinski, we'll arrange the schoolwork required. About everything else, you'll need to deal with it. There won't be time for social visits."_

 _"What about my Dad?"_

 _"His condition hasn't changed. I'll have a man put on him. If anything changes, they will inform us immediately so you can know..."_

 _"Thanks, I suppose. A couple days, huh?"_

 _"Might be sooner, depending. Agent Coulson will let you know when the time comes."_

* * *

Stiles pulled her into a hug, taking in a deep breath as he thought about what he needed to say. "Lyd, I..."

"It's fine, Stiles... I'll be here for when you get back..." she smiled as he pulled away enough to look at her, and suddenly the words clicked in his head.

"I'm going to be back, but until then, I want you to remember how you laughed when I fainted at the sight of blood when I was six, how you were the first girl I ever danced with, how you were my first crush... I want you to think about all the times we kept each other company when my mother was in the hospital and your parents were fighting..."

"You act like you're never coming back."

"Maybe I just don't want you forgetting about me." Stiles mused as he tilted his head making Lydia slightly chuckle at how he reminded her of a puppy.

"I could never forget about you, Stiles."

"Good, then maybe you can think about this until I see you again..." he didn't even think as he leaned in, kissing her as her eyes grew wide as she felt a strange chill, almost like she was in a freezer. As she caressed his face and kissed back, she remembered the freezer in Oscorp Tower... how they had kissed there, and it felt like she was almost back there again the way she felt kissing him. It was a surge of cold and warmth that rushed over her like a tornado, and while she didn't exactly want the kiss to end, when Stiles backed away, she couldn't do anything as she felt him let go of her and backed away. Before she could even open her eyes, he was gone...

"Oh... my... god..." Lydia shuddered as she realized that she had just kissed Stiles Stilinski for the second time, and didn't want to stop the kiss. What she also realized was that what Jackson had said was partially right, Stiles and Lydia had kissed before. How could she have forgotten a kiss like that?


	48. Liftoff

_Chapter Forty-seven: Liftoff_

* * *

 _Stiles' P.O.V._

* * *

I woke up to the sound of the engines turning on, signalling that we were about to be air-bound. An emptiness resounded in my heart as I sat up on the metal cot in my quarters, knowing that I was about to leave the very city I had grown in. For three months at the very least I would not be seen by any of my family or friends while I trained with S.H.I.E.L.D. developing my abilities until I was at the level I needed to be to take on this mystery mastermind and his little band of crooks, which now has Derek in their ranks.

The mere mention of his name now brings me shivers as I remember his relentless assault that night in my home, and unconsciously I had reached down to the area on my torso where he had nearly gutted me. I know he wasn't the one in control, but I can't help but be wary of our next encounter, what it might hold.

"Director Fury is on the bridge, preparing for liftoff. You might want to see us take off from the best view." came the voice of Agent Coulson, poking his head in my door with a caring smile plastered on his face. Coulson was the epitome of being that adult who stayed a kid at heart, seeing how he's obsessed with collecting Captain America cards. Then again, I suppose he does have that dream job every little kid wants to have, being a super spy protecting people from super powered creeps.

I'm still a bit drowsy, as I had about two hours of sleep after leaving Lydia in the locker room at the school, but I manage to nod to Coulson and hop to my feet, stumbling slightly. "What's the plan for this evening?" I ask sleepily, wiping my eyes.

Coulson gives a laugh as I follow him out of the room, grabbing my jacket on my way out. "Tonight you're going to use your powers in a stealth scenario. No web shooters are allowed."

"Really?" I couldn't believe it, since I started training I haven't even used my web shooters unless it was while I was on patrol. "Why can't I use them?"

"In Director Fury's words, it's because you _rely_ too much on your gadgets, and need to start being more of a hand to hand fighter. Your fight with the Omega as we're calling him lacked finesse and because of it you were struggling against him. That was why we were having the good doctor put you in a time loop with Agent Romanoff to give you some experience fighting."

"I think I did pretty well considering my lack of experience." I retort, holding a finger up in defense.

"But you wasted precious time that could have been spent rescuing injured officers and nearby civilians trapped in the area."

"Okay, I admit that could have went a lot better, but _the Omega_ seemed stronger than the last time we fought. He was holding back during our fight until the very end, and he nearly beat me because he caught me off guard."

Coulson didn't seem to acknowledge what I told him as we went up the lift to the deck. The rest of the way up was silent, all while I rubbed my wrists noting the absence of my web shooters. I had been wearing them so much that I now felt naked without them. I've been having some ideas about how to make the web shooters a tad bit more incognito, so that way I could have them on all the time without being questioned about it.

Maybe I could make it retractable, or give it a double feature as a watch and such. I have a lot of options I can utilize but I don't want to jump in on an idea until I know it'll work. Who knows, maybe Fury would be _kind_ enough to give me access to the lab to work on my design. I nearly laughed at that, forcing me to cover my mouth so Coulson wouldn't look at me like I was insane. The idea of Fury being a nice person made me laugh, because it would be way too ironic for someone with the last name Fury to be a gentle soul.

"What are you laughing about?" Coulson asked, making me jump out of surprise. So he did notice... wonderful.

"I've got a question, does Fury ever drop that super spy attitude for anything?" I blurt out, not even thinking about it.

Coulson chuckles, giving a coy smile. "Back in the nineties I only saw him break that act one time, and it was with a cat named Goose."

"Who names their cat Goose?"

He gives a smile, but doesn't answer as we reach the deck and I am greeted by four quinjets lifting off, flying away, presumably with agents going on missions. I follow him, looking at the New York harbor as we drift away towards the sea. The carrier had to go down into the water so supplies could be brought on board, that and there are just some things you can't get by being above the clouds.

Seeing the outline of Manhattan I feel a bit emotional thinking about how this would be the last time I really get to see it for a while. The lowest amount of time I might be away could be three months, or it could be so much longer. So I take it all in while I can, taking in the sight of Lady Liberty and the massive skyscrapers.

"Trust me, when you come back you're going to have a new appreciation for the city. I do." Coulson assures me, sensing my discomfort with leaving the only home I have ever known.

To this I give a nod as I sit down on the edge, letting me feet hang above the water while a man is brought on board with Agent Romanoff. He's got dark curly hair, a light tan and the eyes of someone with far too much guilt on his shoulders; I can see a bit of myself in him honestly.

"Who's that?" I ask, motioning towards the mystery guest.

"That's Dr. Bruce Banner."

"Really? Isn't he the doctor who survived being exposed to lethal amounts of Gamma radiation?" I ask, recalling the story about Dr. Banner risking his life to save a friend from an explosion of a machine using gamma radiation to run. Banner should have died because the level of radiation he was exposed to would have killed twenty men, yet he never even got sick. It was like nothing had even happened in the first place. When asked about it, Dr. Banner said that he didn't think about what happened because all he tried to do was protect someone. That was the story anyway that was revealed, but there were other rumors that perhaps it wasn't just a simple experiment with a machine... rather it was borderline human experimentation. Whatever the story was, Bruce Banner was a walking, living miracle.

"Yes."

"Incredible."

"Yeah, incredible's a word to use alright," Coulson says almost nervously as Dr. Banner and Agent Romanoff walk over to greet us.

"Hey, Coulson... spider-boy."

"Agent Romanoff," I greet back to her, to which she frowns at me.

"I told you, call me Nat." she thinks that I'm nervous being on the Helicarrier and working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and she would be right about that, but the reason I keep referring to her as Agent Romanoff is because I don't rightfully feel I'm able to call her that yet.

"Um, right. My bad."

I look at Dr. Banner, who both looks and apparently feels like a fish out of water, looking around nervously, scratching the back of his head and I can see his eyes darting around as if he's expecting to be ambushed or something. "Everything alright? You don't like water?"

"I just don't like being in confined spaces... especially a submerged pressurized metal container." He admits, walking to the edge where I am as I climb to my feet as the turbines once hidden under water are now revealed as the blades start turning. Within an instant I see Banner's eyes bulge in shock as the Helicarrier slowly starts rising, dropping gallons of water back into the river. "Oh no... this is much worse."

"Don't worry, it's a lot bigger on the inside, trust me." I say, hoping to ease his worries. He just gives me a look and take in a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"So, Coulson... how young are the new recruits at S.H.I.E.L.D. now? He's like, sixteen." Banner points out, looking at Coulson, and completely ignoring me. Agent Roman, I mean Nat... is giving me a coy smile as if she knows that I hate being ignored like that.

"Mr. Stilinski is helping us with what you're here for, partially anyway."

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"

"You haven't told him about what I'm here for?" Banner questions, raising his eyebrows as Nat holds up a finger to pipe in.

"Stiles hasn't exactly been on the case the past few days. I've been trying to teach him hand to hand combat essentials. Fury's been keeping what information he's getting at the low right now so he's not overwhelmed."

Banner nods, understanding Nat's explanation, while I cross my arms a little offended. I'm the guy who learned to use his powers while hunting down a serial killer... I'm pretty sure I could handle training and working a case.

"Why is your last name so familiar?" he asked me.

"My father was one of the officers at that bank robbery on Friday."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." he says solemnly as he buttons his jacket up, hiding the purple dress shirt underneath it. "Uh, sorry if I'm prying too much but what are you bringing to the table? You don't seem like a soldier."

"I'm not a soldier. It's a tad bit more complicated than that, but I think for now the best explanation is that I'm one of the few people who know how to take on the wolf guy from the bank. If he's got a bigger role in this than I need to be here." I explain, hoping that I didn't just reveal that I'm the guy who fought Derek.

Banner raises an eyebrow, and I'm sure he's caught on but surprisingly enough he just brushes it off and turns back to Coulson.

"So, can I see the lab, that way I'm in a comfortable environment?" Banner asks, to which Coulson nods and motions to me as I hop to my feet, catching the scientist off guard, making me chuckle a tad bit.

"Yes, Stilinski will take you to the lab, and once there, you can inform him on what you are here for Dr. Banner."

"So, I gotta break the news to the kid? Great..." he laughs nervously, as I feel that buzzing in the back of my head as if this is a very bad situation I'm about to find myself in. I wish this was one of those times I could just sit back and enjoy myself, sipping on an ice cold drink (not beer) and not worry about something life-threatening. Jesus, what the hell happened to my life?

"Follow me," I motion as I walk towards the lift, which Banner follows me. Nat also comes with us, standing behind the two of us, which puts me on high alert considering how she liked to get the ambush on me during our training sessions, spider sense or not, it doesn't exactly help when I can't tell where she's coming from, and I can't use my agility.

"What do you know about my work, Stiles?" Banner asks, hardly any emotion in his voice as we get down to our destination.

"Pretty much what everyone does... that you specialize in gamma radiation, you were working on an experiment, something went wrong, and you saved your friend from the explosion that followed, exposing you to high levels of gamma radiation."

"Here's what you don't know, and not a lot of people want you to know. We were trying to recreate a super soldier serum from the 1940's, similar to the one that created Captain America. After the failure that happened in my experiment, a new branch of the experiment broke off, creating unstable _Goliaths_ , men with grotesque mutations, giving them twice the strength of Captain America, but the mind of a beast."

I shiver at the thought of it, the similarity of the Lycan Serum was a tad bit uncanny. "These Goliaths, as you call them... why do you call them that?"

"Because, my middle name is David. I like to think that, I'm the thing that's better than them."

"David and Goliath... clever. So, what does this have to do with the bank robberies?" I ask, curious as we step into the lab, my eyes falling upon the brand new equipment which makes me all giddy to look at.

"The serums used to create the Goliaths, were stolen by the same people that committed the robbery that put your father into a coma." Banner explained, making me gulp in fear as Nat held up a device in her hand, opening a holographic computer screen showing images of the seven foot tall Goliaths rampaging through a military facility. "If the serums get into the black market, a lot of people will die... and the worst part isn't even the damage these monsters create. The mutations are too much for them to handle, therefore causing them to die within a few weeks of the transformations. Once they die, they can no longer hold the Gamma radiation that gave them their abilities, and begin to excrete it, not unlike a nuclear reactor."

"So, you're here to find the Gamma energy signatures and hopefully find the stockpile of the serums?"

Banner nods, leaving me only one thing to do... I clench my fists and decide to help in any way I can.

"How can I help?"


	49. The Siberia Lead

_Chapter Forty-eight: The Siberia Lead_

* * *

Sometimes being alone feels like freedom, and sometimes it feels like a prison. Depends on the person, I suppose. Even though I'm surrounded by so many people, great people that are dedicated to protecting people, I still feel alone. I doubt I'll feel differently until I can see my Dad open his eyes, or at least, if he ever does.

Where were you? Those were the words that would be waiting for me when I would return home from my time with S.H.I.E.L.D. and I knew it. It had been five days since I had left, and right about now I had only one thing on my mind as we floated over the Atlantic Ocean. I had spent night and day trying to help Dr. Banner with his attempts to trace the Gamma Radiated soldiers and the serum that created them throughout the country, but there was no luck. I knew something that created thermal energy of that kind would have to be hidden somewhere extremely cold, so now here I was, while the doc is taking a well deserved rest seeing as he spent two days without sleep trying to find them.

"Somewhere cold... somewhere cold." I repeated the words to myself as I took the computer from Dr. Banner's lap and began using the S.H.I.E.L.D. satellites to search for the Gamma rays. The United States was a dead end, so I began looking up north, notably near the Arctic. Canada would end up being a bust so I looked at the unlikeliest of places that our local bank robbers might have taken it... Siberia.

There was a hit, it was a minuscule hit, but that had to be enough to go on for now. The soldiers wouldn't radiate a lot of energy until they were dead, so either this was a soldier that was alive, or it was the serum itself. Either way, we had to investigate it.

"Hey, Doc... wake up." I say, shaking him awake earning a dissatisfied grunt as his eyes crack open, and for a moment, I'll swear I saw his eyes were green for a moment, before they changed back to their normal brown hue.

Sitting up, he looks at the screen and gets wide eyed, smiling brightly at me. "I'll be damned. That's better than anything we've gotten so far."

"Do you think that's the serum and the soldiers?"

"Has to be." Banner nods, and quickly taps the screen, locking in the position, as he basically bolts out of the room. I follow him, keeping up with him without even breaking a sweat as we get to the bridge.

Fury is already waiting there for us, and alongside him is Nat, who is smiling with pride at me.

In Fury's hands he held a black briefcase, and he gives me a coy smile, which is probably the first time I've seen him actually smile so it sends chills down my spine. It's almost like a bad omen as I step up to him and he holds it out to me, and on it I can see a red spider symbol on it.

"Agent Romanoff told us if we were to bring you into the field you needed a better outfit than a stocking cap and red spandex. Had one of the guys in the lab make you up a little something. It's just the beginning, but I think for the mission it'll do."

I raise an eyebrow, taking the briefcase from him and set it down on the table besides us, as Banner looks over my shoulder like a child. Nat is looking like a proud mother who just got their child the best birthday present they could have ever asked for. In truth, this was probably going to be my favorite present I would ever get from anyone, mostly because it was the template for what I would wear later on in my career.

Inside, was a new suit for me to wear.

A red and black jacket, the black being the torso's front and back, and the red laced the hood and sleeves. On the jacket's chest and back was a bright white spider symbol, but something about it just seemed off to me, like it was the right idea, but wasn't exactly what I was looking for. It was a step in the right direction... and for now it would definitely work. The huge goggles and all. Speaking of which I had a black mask with brown goggles to wear, the red hood covering most of the head. The outfit was finished with something akin to spandex and jeans having a strange love child, and a pair of boots that were fitted to my specific needs... they were combat boots, with malleable steel in the toes which upon impact hardened allowing for enhanced damage. I had blue gloves with stretched up to my elbows, with open fingers, and pads on the back of my hands for cushion in a fight. For now, it was perfect... at least until I could get into the lab myself to fix one up that it is. _Oh what I could do with a budget..._

"So, what do you think?" Nat asks me, to which I just stand there with a bright smile on my face. It was the first time I had smiled in a long while, and so I kind of stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to say. She seemed so proud of the suit, and it made me wonder if she designed it herself.

"It's perfect. Way better than spandex and sunglasses." I laugh, to which Nat just smiles happily.

"Good..." Fury states. "Now, I take it by the urgency, the two of you found something."

I nod, before explaining what I found.

After explaining, I could see Fury's decision right then and there. We were going to be mobilized to investigate the lead.

* * *

 **Third Person P.O.V.**

* * *

Banner couldn't help himself, looking at the file in hand seeing the monstrous Goliaths in them, hulking monsters that were so malformed and corrupted they were less than human now. They probably didn't even remember who they were anymore. He took full responsibility for their suffering, and that was the least he could do.

He had devoted himself to a project a colleague's father had told him about, claiming it was meant to make humans immune to gamma radiation. It was only when the Goliaths were first born that Banner learned the truth... that it was an attempt to recreate the World War 2 era super soldier serum that created the legendary Captain America. Banner wanted to stop it... so many people had been hurt in the last attempt that actually created that first serum, and its creator died, taking the serum with him. The side effects the Goliaths had only solidified the fact, and so Banner went against his colleague's father. The branch off in research was all because of the accident that caused him to be exposed to a lethal dose of gamma radiation... and yet he survived.

He was so tired of feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, knowing that the deaths the Goliaths caused, everything just made him feel like he was to blame. So Banner had to help, it wasn't just a matter of protecting people, he had to right his wrongs.

Bruce looked at the teenager in front of him, and wondered what this kid could do that would help them recover the Goliath serum. Although, as soon as Fury and Romanoff brought out the briefcase containing that suit for Stiles, Bruce immediately realized this kid was far more than he originally thought.

"So, do you think the Omega is going to be there at that site when we get there?" Bruce asked Fury as they stepped aside, leaving Stiles to go to the lab and get resupplied.

"I'm not sure, but that's why we're bringing the kid. And, if the Goliaths are a problem, I'm sure you'll come in handy, Doctor."

"Oh, uh... I don't think you want me in that kind of environment, Fury. You know what happens with that level of _stress._ "

"I'm afraid we might not have a choice, Banner. The other guy might be needed."

Bruce sighed, fearing what might happen if _the other guy_ were to show up.

"Let's hope not, shall we?"

* * *

 _Into the trench went the young Rick Jones, and only he would see what happened as the explosion went off, sending the green flames towards Bruce. A horrid flash of light was all Rick saw, and Bruce's scream of anguish and pain, and in the midst of it, he heard something monstrous appear in Bruce's voice, like an echo in a cave._

 _Bruce couldn't stop looking at Betty's face when the trail of blood began running down his face following the explosion. He figured he was going to die, if not instantly... he was going to at least die in the upcoming minutes, hours... that much gamma radiation was enough to kill hundreds of men. Bruce Banner was a dead man._

* * *

 **SIBERIA**

* * *

There was a slight catch in his breath as the werewolf stepped into the snowy field outside of the facility he had been brought to. A mole had told the boss that the Spider had teamed up with S.H.I.E.L.D. and was most likely coming to retrieve the stolen goods. He didn't wish any harm to him, but the Omega had a job to do, and if he didn't comply, then the people he loved would be killed. The Spider's last words to him were the ones he kept thinking about when he was able to think freely.

"I figured it out buddy... don't worry, Laura's okay." those were the last words he heard from the Spider, and he would hold onto that thought, the possibility of being freed from his enslavement. Nobody knew what the boss had over the Omega that made him submit so willingly unlike the others, but that was one story that would take far too long to explain. And from the smell of it... it appeared the subjects were now transformed.

"Better hurry up, Spider... if you're going to stop this." the werewolf muttered under his breath as his eyes glowed that sad, cold blue through the blowing snow, as the blizzard overtook the facility, concealing his presence.

* * *

Stiles felt comfortable in his new proto-suit as he liked to refer to it as, and cracked his neck while sitting across from Banner in the Quinjet, with Nat flying to their location. "You know, you don't have to come Doc. You aren't exactly able to fight those things."

"I know, but that's my mess I've created. It's my responsibility to stop them." the doctor shook his head with regret.

"What are you talking about, Doc? You didn't know what would happen."

"I started all of this..." Bruce reminded him, and went quiet as Stiles held the mask in his hand as snow began to hit the glass, letting him know they were starting to get close.

"Alright, boys... get ready." Nat's voice came from the cockpit, making Stiles take in a deep breath as he put the mask and goggles on. It felt way too easy to put that mask on, like nothing else really mattered. When he put on that mask something about him changed. It might have only been a few days he had been wearing the mask, sure, but it didn't change the fact he's become accustomed to wearing it, as if it was an extension of himself...

Stiles exhaled and let the Spider take over.

* * *

The snow on the ground dispersed as the quinjets landed, and the masked vigilante stepped out alongside the infamous Black Widow and Dr. Banner. Out of the other jets came soldiers armed to the teeth, and Stiles prayed that Derek wasn't here, that way those weapons wouldn't be here for nothing. They might be extremely powerful weapons, but Derek's healing factor probably would allow him to kill a lot of people before those bullets did any real damage to him.

Stiles used his Spider Sense to survey the area, and found a large building that led underground about five hundred feet ahead, but with the blizzard happening around them, it was impossible to see.

"We got a building in front of us, has to be it. Nothing else out here for miles." Stiles broke the silence, making Nat nod and motion to the soldiers behind them.

"Remember what you're to do?" Nat asked him, to which Stiles nodded. "Good, now based on the scans we got of the place, there is a gamma signature underground... so if this is where they're keeping the Goliaths, be prepared. Dr. Banner, you stay behind me..."

"I'd rather stay on the quinjet, but that might be a wiser choice." Bruce gave a nervous laugh, making Stiles roll his eyes under his mask.

"Don't worry, Doc. There's enough of us here, this shouldn't be too much trouble." Stiles watched as Natasha shook her head, proceeding past him with the others in tow. Did he say something wrong?

As he followed, he didn't even think about the fact he was no longer in New York, but was rather in Siberia... chasing down a group of criminals using a werewolf bodyguard, that stole a bunch of hulking super soldiers. If only the Stiles from a few weeks ago could see him now.

Stiles and the group got into the building with ease, and the only emotion he could get from this place was dread and despair, which was too much of a reminder of when he confronted Harris.

There was an elevator, but it was out of order, making Stiles groan. "Guess you guys will have to find the stairs."

"Wait, where are you going?" Bruce asked, to which Stiles walked over to the elevator shaft, and pried the doors open with ease.

"I'm going to take the express route."

 _Plus, it'll give me a chance to get Derek out of commission if I see him._

"Be careful." Nat warned him, to which Stiles nodded and jumped into the shaft, disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

Stiles landed at the bottom, having slowed his fall by sliding down the wall for the last five floors. He opened the door and climbed out, seeing a long hallway leading to a set of metal doors at the far end.

 _This is ominous._..

He composed himself as he walked down the hallway, clenching his fists tightly, hoping that something wouldn't jump out of the shadows at him. Place definitely fit into the top 100 scariest places on Earth list, that's for sure.

Getting through the doors, Stiles found himself in a lab, with large chambers full of liquid, containing large _men,_ if you could call them that, inside of them. These must be the Goliaths, he surmised as the mere sight of them was causing his Spider Sense to go off the charts.

"I found the Goliaths... seems they're still in some sort of incubator... transformations don't seem complete yet." he spoke into his communicator as his eyes fell upon a broken chamber, making him gulp. "Well, all except for one..."

A growl came from behind, as Stiles slowly turned around, to be met with a hand larger than his entire torso grabbing him out of nowhere.

Next thing Stiles knew was he was being sent flying through a wall.


	50. The Unstoppable Rage Machine

_Chapter Forty-nine: The Unstoppable Rage Machine_

* * *

 **New York City (Saturday, September 15th)**

* * *

That subtle catch in her breath was what caught Natalie Martin's attention when she was talking to Lydia at dinner. It was also in the way her hair was lifeless, no shine, and it laid flat against her instead of having that natural bounce. Lydia's eyes wouldn't even meet her, and was always pointed downward.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked finally after watching her fiddle with her food for a minute, and Lydia looked up, seemingly unaware of the fact her mother had been even talking to her in the first place.

"W-what?" Lydia responded, blinking with surprise.

"I asked you what's wrong. You seem like you're somewhere else, completely." Natalie's words were so filled with worry that it made Lydia feel guilty for not paying more attention to her mother in the first place. All she's felt for the past couple days was confusion and pain thinking about the fact that the very kiss Jackson broke up with her over, the one she denied ever happening, did in fact happen, and the only way she remembered it was because she had kissed Stiles _again._ Why didn't she remember the kiss beforehand? She didn't even really remember much about that day either, as much as it pained her to admit. It was starting to come back to her slowly, but the fact was she felt like she had betrayed Jackson.

Now thoughts of how Jackson reacted flooded her mind and guilt swarmed her emotions. "I think I did something really bad," Lydia said, almost too quietly for her mother to hear.

"What did you do?"

"Jackson broke up with me because he thought Stiles and I kissed... swore he saw video footage of us. I told him we didn't..."

Natalie's interest peaked when she heard something about Stiles and Lydia kissing. "And?"

"I thought we didn't... because on the 28th last month, at the Tower Stiles came over and helped Dr. Connors and I do some work. Afterwards Stiles accompanied me to put samples away in storage. After that I don't remember much, but I just know that Stiles and I got trapped in the freezer... and we couldn't get out. I, I thought we were going to die. Everyone had left. Stiles had me in his arms, trying to keep me warm," she began explaining, and didn't know how to explain that after the kiss, she didn't remember getting out, she didn't even remember getting home. That was one of the things she wanted to ask Stiles, but she wasn't sure if she would see him again, or at least any time soon. "I was so worried, thinking I wasn't going to be able to make it out of there, I told Stiles how I felt about him when we were younger. Then I kissed him, and after that I think I passed out. I don't remember how we got out of there, I don't even remember coming home that night. I just remember waking up on my bed, wearing Stiles' jacket."

"Did Stiles tell you what happened?" Natalie asked, full of disbelief. Lydia shook her head.

"No, because up until just Monday, I didn't remember we were even in the freezer. Stiles, he pulled me into the locker room to talk, and told me how he was going to have to leave for a while, basically acted like he wouldn't see me again... and then kissed me goodbye. When he did, as corny as it sounds I remembered our kiss in the freezer and it's started coming back to me. I haven't seen nor heard from Stiles since then."

Suddenly Lydia felt a strange chill run down her back, and she had this odd feeling that Stiles was in danger.

She didn't listen to what her mother said as she grabbed her phone, dialing Stiles' number... it rang all the way to voicemail, and her heart dropped. Her hands were shaking now as she tried dialing his number once more, and unconsciously grabbed her spider necklace... 

* * *

Stiles felt his head spinning a hundred different ways all at once as he was dragged along the floor by a giant creature that he couldn't see through his cracked goggles. He tried recovering, grabbing onto anything that might have given him leverage, but it was impossible as he was pulled off of the ground and held up in front of the Goliath staring him down. Its teeth was a yellowish-orange tint, and the Goliath's breath was like raw sewage. Stiles coughed heavily as he saw the monster's violet eyes stare at him, making him gulp slightly as he finally recovered enough to break free and cling to the ceiling which was a good ten feet above the Goliath.

"God, that was the worst roller-coaster I've ever been. I want my money back on that ride." he grunted as he heard a faint ringing in his pocket, making him pull his phone out, which admittedly was a stupid idea, and saw Lydia was calling him.

 _Sorry, Lyd. Can't talk right now. Especially with beef-head over here._ Stiles pressed ignore and zipped to the other side of the room as the Goliath attacked, throwing a table at him. It was an easy enough dodge, but Stiles knew that something that big was eventually going to hit.

"Romanoff! We got a problem!" Stiles called out through his communicator.

" _I can hear. Where are you at?_ " Romanoff's voice came through his ear, making him let out a sigh of relief. Stiles looked at the Goliath, and its floating companions.

"Some kind of lab. It's at the bottom of the elevator. I need to find out if these things have any weaknesses, because I'm about to be eaten by one of them!"

Stiles rolled out of the way as the Goliath charged, swiping at him, and even though Stiles was fast he wasn't able to dodge the swipe, and was thrown into a computer desk. He looked over at the damaged computer and laughed lightly. "And maybe send an IT guy... we got a computer that's acting up."

He sensed the Goliath was about to attack once more, so he shot a web and flew out of the way, landing on one of the chambers containing the other Goliaths.

"Stand at attention!" came a demanding voice from the shadows, and Stiles watched as the Goliath stopped its attack as a green skinned man stepped into view, with a blue eyed werewolf next to him. "Well, well, well... if it isn't the _Web Slinger_ as Manhattan's calling you. I see you got a new outfit. It doesn't really scream _superhero_ though. More like a cheap man's cosplay attempts."

"It's a work in progress... who are you?"

"Who am I? Oh, I'm a nobody. Someone from behind the scenes that never gets any attention. What I want to know is, who are you?"

Stiles felt compelled to tell him, like whatever inhibitions he had were falling away. So, this must be the guy who's controlling Derek then. He wasn't even trying that hard either, based on the sly smile on his face.

"I, uh... don't think so. You alright, look like you're going to get sick, you're so green."

"Making fun of a skin condition, I see that's how it is." the man said solemnly. "Here I thought the man who brought down the Identity Thief would have some composure with those brains of yours."

"How do you know that?"

"Dear old Derek told me here. Unfortunately he won't spill the beans on your name, which is why I want to ask you personally. What is your name?" he asked innocently enough. Stiles growled as his Spider Sense went off like crazy, and he looked away from the man, unsure of how that power of his worked. "Come now, don't make me actually put effort into prying that info out of you. I'm trying to be civil."

"Yeah, I can see that..." Stiles laughed sourly, as he watched the Goliath smile menacingly at him. "That thing is scary."

"Yes, yes it is... although I'm not here for the Goliaths. I'm here for the better product."

 _What does he mean by that?_

"Oh I feel you'll know that soon enough Webs."

Stiles didn't like the sound of that at all. "What do I call you, so I don't have to use your skin color as a point of reference."

"Hmm, what do you expect... a name that's mesmerizing, something that will be a wow factor in my identity?"

"Mesmerizing isn't exactly the word I would use."

"S-stop... talking... and f-f-fight h-h-h-h-hiimmm..." Derek growled out, looking at Stiles making him realize Derek was saying that with a lot of resistance.

The man flicked his wrist, making Derek scream in pain as the werewolf's hands grabbed the sides of his head. "I told you to stay quiet, mutt. Pardon that, I'm still training him. Rebellious one he is."

Stiles had enough, launching off of the chamber, and shooting a web at the man. However, the Goliath returned with blocking the web, making Stiles smile hoping the Goliath would have done that as he climbed around the Goliath just like a spider, wrapping him up in a cocoon of web until he couldn't move his torso at all.

"A straitjacket out of webs... devilishly clever. Question, are those organic or did you have to create them yourself?"

"Here I thought I talked a lot during a _fight_."

"Indeed, but I'm merely chatting. I rarely get to do this without having to force the responses." the man said looking at Derek with a roll of his eyes.

 _Dude has sass... he's like a member of the Mean Girls._

"I haven't watched that movie..." the man responded to his thought, making Stiles growl. "I see you don't like people reading your thoughts."

"There's already a lady who can read my thoughts, and I don't like having her in there in the first place."

Stiles heard the footsteps coming from the stairs and watched Derek's face turn wolfish, making the teen's eyes turn pitch black through the goggles.

"You're done... there's no way you're getting out of here."

"Oh, we'll see about that."

In came Romanoff and the others, along with a nervous Dr. Banner, and upon catching sight of the green skinned man, his eyes grew wide with fear.

"The Mesmerizer..." Banner whispered to himself, but Stiles heard it and gulped.

"Hello, Dr. Banner... nice to finally see you after all this time. Now that you're here... how about we get angry?"

Stiles watched as Bruce suddenly grasped at the sides of his head and watched as the man's eyes turned green.

"Oh shit." Stiles gulped.

"Attack..." The Mesmerizer called out to the other Goliaths, as the one broke free from the webs restricting it. The others in the tanks, four in total opened their eyes and launched out through the glass. Stiles' first instinct was to tackle Romanoff out of the way as the soldiers unleashed fire on the monsters as Bruce stumbled into the wall as his clothes began shredding, revealing his skin was turning green, and his muscles were getting bigger. In fact, everything about Bruce was getting bigger.

"What the hell is going with him?!" Stiles asked, as Romanoff gulped in fear at the sight of the transformation.

"Side effect of the Gamma radiation... there's a reason Bruce was skittish. He can't get angry... otherwise he turns into something a lot angrier and stronger than the Goliaths. It's an unstoppable rage machine."

"So, what do we do?"

"Get out of his way..." Romanoff warned, as Stiles watched Banner turn his attention to him, and in a monstrous voice he could hear one word.

"RUN!"

Stiles grabbed Romanoff by her waist, and took off towards the elevator shaft. As he reached it he heard a monstrous roar, and the sound of bones breaking. Shooting a web up, and having Romanoff go up, he watched a Goliath fall with its neck broken.

"Oh boy..."

Behind it, he also saw the man with the green skin wave goodbye, and a thought came across his mind.

 _I'll see you again soon enough Web Slinger._

Stiles couldn't understand what he did, but next thing he knew was that he was running back to the lab to face off against the other Goliaths, the Omega, and the unstoppable rage machine.


	51. An Unexpected Discovery

_Chapter Fifty: An Unexpected Discovery_

* * *

The scene was like an ultimate free for all, as Stiles dove through multiple punches, from the Hulking monster that had once been Bruce Banner, and the Goliaths responding to said attacks. There was also the fact Derek was following him, slashing at the teenager with every ounce of his being. This was all happening as the man with the green skin, the one Bruce had called _The Mesmerizer_ stood out of the way in another room, smiling contently watching the brawl unfold.

Banner's transformed state was a thing of beauty. He stood at nearly nine foot tall, and had the muscles of a god. It tore through the room like it was paper, and the Goliaths, which admittedly on their own are formidable opponents, but Banner's rage induced strength was far superior. The Web Slinger was using the room like he was an acrobat, dodging every attack coming his way, including the onslaught of Derek Hale's relentless attacks.

 _This is good. Perhaps this will get rid of my arachnid problem. With a sample of that Hulk's blood, I could create something so much more dangerous than the Lycan Serum could. That mixed with a werewolf's powers... the results could be absolute chaos. Imagine the pay day._

Stiles was running out of room to move as the giant behemoths tore at each other, and that thing, or whatever Banner was going to be called was tearing the Goliaths apart. They never stood a chance.

Spinning around, Stiles shot a web into Derek's face and kicked the werewolf's jaw hard enough to send him crashing through a wall as the teenager landed on the wall gracefully.

"Come, Omega..." Mesmerizer called out, making Derek rip the web off of his face and leap over to his master, as they began leaving. "Oh, and Web Slinger, if you think about following us... _deal with him, and then come find me._ " he was looking at Banner, and Stiles watched as the last Goliath fell, and the beast's attentions were now on him.

"Crap." was all he could mutter as the monster stepped forward towards him. The Mesmerizer and Derek were gone before he could even move. 8 "Uh, Bruce, if you can hear me... is it too late to say sorry for jinxing us?" No answer came as the behemoth huffed at him. "Come on, say something."

The beast raised his arms into the air, and with the fury of an entire army screamed at Stiles: "HULK SMASH!"

"I REGRET EVERYTHING!" Stiles called out as he threw his hands up.

* * *

Natasha Romanoff barely got outside as she heard the roar from below the building, and she watched as the entire building collapsed, making her realize that Stiles had never come out. She held her hand over her mouth, thinking that Stiles had just been killed beneath the now collapsed structure, until she watched the _Hulk_ come flying out of the debris, holding the teenager as they flew into the distance, disappearing into the blizzard.

"This is Romanoff, Banner's hulked out... and he's got Stilinski." she called for back up, rushing to the Quinjet, hoping to catch up to them before it was too late and they were just gone, or Stiles was dead.

* * *

Stiles hit the snow in the middle of nowhere hard, as blood ran down his face with the Hulk standing above him, smiling at him. "Puny spider."

"Okay... I get it... Hulk smash, puny spider... I see you're a man of many words." he coughed heavily as the Hulk leaned down and touched the shattered goggles, knocking them off of Stiles revealing his bruised face.

Stiles didn't like how big Hulk's hands were, as it encompassed his entire face with ease. The Hulk stepped forward and was about to leave as Stiles removed his mask, and shot a web onto Hulk.

"I can't let you do that..."

Hulk growled, as Stiles slowly climbed to his feet. "Doc, come on, you know that going to that guy, it's not going to end well. You're going to end up having more problems arise with whatever you've got going on here. The Goliaths weren't the target. You were."

Hulk didn't seem to comprehend what Stiles was saying, as he ripped the web off of his shoulder. "Do you even understand what I'm saying?!"

Stiles stepped forward. "You said you were responsible for the Goliaths, right... you go to him and all that stuff about fixing your mess, the thing you think is your responsibility... it'll be for nothing. They'll create monsters worse than the Goliaths."

Hulk's eyes dimmed at this, right as a shine glazed over.

"Hulk... not Banner. Not Hulk's, responsibility." he growled, before launching towards Stiles with his arms prepared for a ground pound, as Stiles lunged high into the air, higher than he had ever jumped before, or at least attempted might as well be said. As Stiles reached the peak of his jump, he watched Hulk smash the ground with such force the ice split in two, and the entire landscape began splitting.

 _Holy crap, I'm so glad I didn't get hit by that._ He landed behind Hulk as something began appearing out of the ice, something metallic. It was black in color, and looked to have been in the ice for a long time. Stiles wasn't sure what it was, but he couldn't focus on that at the moment, he had to stop the Hulk from going to the Mesmerizer, or whatever the hell he was called. Mesmerizer was such a tacky name, it didn't catch well.

 _Mesmero... that's your name._

Stiles watched as Hulk turned towards him, throwing a punch towards him, as Stiles caught the fist. "I'm not a puny spider... I'm stronger than I look."

"Hulk stronger!" the green behemoth roared, pushing Stiles down into the ice, cracking it beneath him.

"I DON'T CARE! IF YOU GO TO MESMERO, INNOCENT PEOPLE WILL DIE BRUCE!" the scream that left Stiles was full of pain and anger, as his eyes turned pitch black and he pushed Hulk back enough to where he was now standing up. "IF TRYING TO STOP YOU MEANS I HAVE TO DIE, THEN SO BE IT!"

He screamed at the top of his lungs as he pushed against the overwhelming strength Hulk had, his feet digging into the soft snow, and into the crater Hulk had created with his ground pound. If he fell into that crack right next to the crater, then Stiles would die. He knew that well enough.

Hulk looked surprised at the teenager's strength as Stiles' teeth gritted tightly and he began overloading his web shooters, an action he started discreetly before catching Hulk's fist.

The sound of the Quinjet closing in was what caught Hulk's attention, turning his head away from Stiles as he set the web shooters off, shocking the Hulk and destroying his web shooters in the process, and he climbed up the Hulk's arm, before hitting him hard in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Stiles landed on Hulk's chest and clenched his fists tightly as he brought his arms back, in the same fashion Hulk did when he did his ground pound, and slammed them down into the behemoth's chest, sending them down into the ice. Stiles repeated the process over and over and over again, sending them deeper and deeper into the ice, all while revealing the metallic object that had been revealed.

Once done, Stiles punched Hulk hard in the head, and watched the glaze leave his eyes. "You're not anyone's puppet!"

Hulk turned his head to him and started laughing, wiping his jaw. _Oh god, he's laughing. Why the hell is he laughing._

"Spider think he able to beat Hulk!" he cackled. "Not as puny spider as Hulk thought, but still puny." Hulk laughed uncontrollably as his skin began to turn back to his normal complexion and he shrunk down. Stiles didn't really think about it until now, but Bruce was only in shorts now, and they were in the middle of what appeared to be a glacier.

Bruce stopped laughing as his eyes fell upon Stiles, and looked around. "What the hell happened? The other guy came out, didn't he?"

"Yeah... he did."

"Did anyone get hurt?"

"The soldiers were killed by the Goliaths. You were fighting the Goliaths off but it was too late. Then when the Goliaths were dead, Mesmero tried to have you kill me, and then go find him. I had to knock some sense into you. You kicked my ass, but I like to think it was a draw."

"B-but the other guy was laughing... why?"

"I told him a joke that was so funny he turned back to you." Stiles said, hoping Bruce would believe him.

"So... do you wanna get us out of here?"

"I would, but I can't climb up the ice, and my web shooters are broke. I had to fry them to stun the big guy."

"Oh... well did Romanoff survive?"

"Yeah, I got her out right as you Hulked out."

"I don't like that name."

"I don't like being called the Web Slinger either, but they're sticking."

From above Natasha poked her head over the edge and tilted her head. "Hey fellas, what are you doing down there? I thought there was a mission at hand!"

"I swear to you, it's not what it looks like."

"What does it look like?" Bruce asked innocently, not realizing that he was almost naked and Stiles was in a slightly compromising position over him. Stiles hopped to his feet, pulling Bruce up.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, we need a lift out of here!"

"What happened to your web shooters?"

"Busted! Can you just get us out?" Stiles asked, grunting as he held his side, certain he had yet another broken rib.

"Yeah, hang on. Plus, I think you guys might want to see what just came out of the ice."

Stiles and Bruce both looked at each other with wonder.

* * *

As they were pulled out, Stiles looked at the massive object, discovering it was a World War 2 Stealth Bomber, bigger than any Stiles had ever seen in any book regarding that era.

"Our fight brought that out?" Bruce asked as he slipped on a coat and pants, shivering from the cold.

"Apparently." Stiles shrugged as he saw a red symbol on the side of the bomber. It was a symbol he had seen when he was doing studying the other night, regarding enemies of the United States and the world in general. It was a skull with octopus tentacles. That meant it belonged to the terrorist group called Hydra, a group within the Third Reich that broke off and was still active to this day. "Wait... Romanoff. Wasn't there a bomber that went disappeared in 1945, what was it called... The Valkyrie?"

"Uh, maybe. I may know a lot, but I'm not a walking encyclopedia."

Stiles stepped forward, wondering what was so special about the Valkyrie that stuck with him. He decided to go take a look inside the bomber, if he could get into it that was. Seeing the hatches shut with no way of opening it, as ice still covered it, Stiles glanced towards the cockpit, climbing to the top, looking through the glass. Punching the glass open Stiles climbed in, and used a light in his belt to see in the plane. It was definitely in good condition, all things considered as he walked through. As he entered the back of the plane, he saw something in two blocks of ice. Stiles couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a red tone in the ice. Getting closer he found a shield with a star and the American flag colors on it. Looking at the other object, Stiles suddenly realized what was so special about the Valkyrie.

"Nat, you might wanna have an extraction crew come. I know what's special about the Valkyrie."

"What is it?"

"This is the plane that Captain America disappeared on... and guess what? He's still in it." Stiles said with awe in his voice as he saw the frozen body of the super soldier in front of him. Stiles Stilinski found Captain America by fighting the Hulk. Later on in life, telling his possible kids that, it would have probably never been believed. However, this was a world full of superheroes and monsters... anything was possible.

* * *

 _As it would turn out, when Fury got the extraction team in and began thawing the plane out, Captain America included, it was revealed that somehow the Captain had survived, being in a coma for nearly 70 years. I was unsure of how long it would be before Captain America would be woken up, but I was certain of one thing, when he woke up, Fury better have the mother of all explanations planned out otherwise there might be a super soldier running around thinking he's been captured by the enemy._

 _Banner was kept close after his transformation, especially when Mesmero tried to get the Hulk in his possession. Nobody was sure why Mesmero wanted Hulk, but I had a feeling it was the same reason he wanted Derek. The blood they had, could be used to create armies of monsters. Naturally, Fury thought there might have been another reason, believing it was needed to look at all the options, but the truth was plain and simple. A power like the Hulk, even from the small glimpse I had, it wasn't something to be trifled with. My proto-suit, was completely trashed. I had worn it for less than a day, and it was already ruined. Nat seemed the most hurt by it, and I had to guess she probably was the one who designed it in the first place._

 _I told her it was fine, that they could always get it fixed, but Nat told me it was probably best if I created my own look for my uniform, because after all... it was my suit, why shouldn't I have full control on how it looks._

 _I also knew that I had to make new web shooters. I couldn't fix the ones I had because they were so damaged from my fight with Hulk._

 _After looking into the building where Mesmero and Derek had been, I discovered it belonged to some guy named Anatoly, who was believed to be a part of the Russian Mob that worked around Hell's Kitchen. At least, that was the name associated with it. Illegitimate reports stated that it was a lab used for experimentation, whether it was drugs or potential super soldier serums, who knows. By the time we had gotten there, the Goliaths were the main focus, as if they were on display for us. Mesmero played us like a fiddle. He had wanted this, but one question rested on my shoulders now, one I couldn't quite understand. How did Mesmero know that I was now working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and if he knew, was there a mole? The info had to be getting out somewhere._

 _From talking with Bruce, he explained his whole story to me, how he became the Hulk and why his condition wasn't revealed before the transformation. The machine they were testing, was a conduit used to insert a super serum into a person and the gamma radiation that went through the conduit would act as the catalyst. Some guy, not too older than me, Rick Jones... a guy who snuck onto the base on a dare caused a disruption to the conduit. It was going to explode, and Bruce reacted before anyone could stop him, not even his colleague, Betty Ross, the daughter of General Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross, the man who wanted to recreate the Captain America super serum, could stop him. Bruce pushed Rick into the trench as the explosion went off. The explosion was full of Gamma Radiation, which in turn entered Bruce. The explosion had caused the serum to be seemingly destroyed in the explosion, but I guess the serum worked, turning Bruce into the Hulk. Bruce didn't turn right away, not until he was out of the hospital and on the road. He had a flat tire, and when he was trying to fix it he hurt himself, and in the process got angry, transforming into Hulk. The Hulk destroyed Bruce's car, and the next thing Bruce knew he was laying in the middle of the Nevada desert in only a pair of tattered shorts. Bruce had been the Hulk for a while now, nearly three and a half years now. He had taken great steps in avoiding becoming the Hulk, going towards seclusion, living in the middle of the woods in Canada when Agent Romanoff went to collect him for the mission. General Ross was looking for Bruce, believing him to be the Hulk, but didn't have concise proof. Bruce had multiple worries with the Hulk, the military, the possibility of hurting people... now I understood what made him so adamant on fixing the Goliath situation. He was the perfected Goliath._

* * *

 _I couldn't blame him for not telling me sooner; if I were to turn into a nine foot angry green giant capable of destroying a glacier with one hit, I'd be cautious to reveal my secret as well. Then again, I'm keeping a secret about my own powers, so there's that. The only people who really knew my real identity beneath the mask was Dr. Strange, Fury, Coulson, Bruce, Nat, and a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were the ones that accompanied us on that mission. They unfortunately did not make it. Sanchez, Brooks, Cabal, and Jones. They died to the Goliaths. I went to their funerals a few days later. It was beautiful, and while I didn't know them, I still had gone into the field with them. They died because I couldn't do anything. I felt responsible for their deaths._

 _My phone wasn't working so I could no longer even attempt to call nor message Lydia or anyone else for that matter. Thankfully I was able to access my phone's contents through a computer in my room on the Helicarrier, and saw over the past two weeks I had been gone, I had missed 124 calls, all consisting of Scott, Lydia, Harry, Erica, Melissa, and even the school, probably about upcoming events. My messages were higher in numbers, as Lydia was texting me almost every day, frantically trying to get me to respond. She was asking about the freezer, if I was okay. How she felt like something bad had happened to me. The messages about something happening to me happened when I fought Bruce, or rather Hulk. I was floored by that to be honest. Maybe there was an unspoken connection or something weird. Scott would text me, asking me where I was, if I could respond... and when I didn't he would just tell me that he missed me, and hoped I was coming home soon. Harry mainly talked about the gossip at school, which was usual Harry. He also talked about how close Norman and Jackson had been lately, and Jackson was now calling Norman "Dad" which was terrifying to say the least._

 _I never responded to any messages, but made sure to read every single one of them. Flash had asked Erica out, and they had been together for about a week now. I was happy for them. They deserved happiness. Scott was busy with working on the basketball court in my absence, and the fact Jackson had taken a downward spiral, as he was no longer attending practice. It was weird hearing these things. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone for a lot of this._

 _More so, I focused on what was going on with Dad. I wanted to make sure he was okay. He was still in a coma, no changes. His wounds were healing, slowly but surely. I just wished he would wake up._

 _In regards to my mission, I still did training with Strange for "four" hours a day. Four hours in real time meant about four weeks worth of training in the time loop. My muscles were more defined, my fighting tight and disciplined. I no longer had to rely on my gadgets, I could actually fight without gadgets if need be. My hair was longer now, almost to my eyes in the front and to the back of my shoulders for the back. I even had stubble forming. Nat approached me one night saying I looked like hell. I did, and I didn't care. My only focus was getting Mesmero... he was the one behind everything. So if I had to go through hell to get him and the Michaels, then so be it._

 _Physical combat aside, I was told that I needed to use my powers properly, using it in a stealth format that would actually help. So Fury got me on a jet and flew me to Africa to meet the guy who was supposed to train me there. Who the hell was going to train me now?_


	52. Sergei Kravinoff

_Chapter Fifty-one: Sergei Kravinoff_

* * *

 **Wednesday, September 26th**

* * *

"So, who's this guy I'm supposed to meet? And why is he in the plains of all places?" Stiles asked, scratching at his stubble as he was flown by Coulson and a pilot to where he was supposed to meet his new trainer.

"He's a hunter by nature. Renowned for his tracking and combat skills."

"So how is this supposed to help me with my powers?" Stiles raised an eyebrow as he removed his jacket, already feeling the heat.

"He's more adapted to your powers, since you're a mix between a werewolf and a spider."

"I'm more spider than a wolf though."

"Doesn't mean it can't still apply in situational aspects. I have a good feeling you'll understand your powers a bit more by the time he's done with you in the next couple weeks."

"Couple weeks?!" Stiles asked, shocked that he was going to be in Africa for more than just a day.

Coulson gave a him a smile, turning to look at his datapad which Stiles could see it was the footage of the comatose Captain America in a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in Manhattan. Stiles was hoping that by the time Cap woke up he might be there to lighten the load. That or they might require some extra manpower that way the super soldier didn't cause any chaos in the facility.

"I take it he's still under?"

"Yes, as of right now he's still under, and medical staff are still assessing his injuries and vitals. When the Valkyrie went down it appears that the Captain suffered some minor injuries from debris of the crash."

"How long do they think he's going to be out?"

"Unsure, could wake up in a few minutes, a day, a week..."

"So, like my father?" Stiles asked, lowly as he stood up seeing the plains come into sight.

"Yes... like your father." Coulson frowned, putting a hand on Stiles' shoulder. "He'll wake up, I'm sure of it."

"He better, because I don't know what I'll do to the people responsible if he doesn't." Stiles growled as his hair fell in front of his face.

"You might wanna get a haircut when you get a chance."

"I don't care about a haircut."

Coulson raised an eyebrow, sensing how Stiles' attitude had changed since they had picked him up that night he broke into the police precinct. Stiles was slowly getting angrier with each day, and losing sight of himself. His appearance was matching that, and Coulson had to admit, there was going to be a hellish storm coming when Stiles found the people responsible for the robbery.

"You bring your equipment?" Coulson asked, changing the subject, to which Stiles shook his head. "Why not?"

"I'm still working on the new web shooter design, with some heavy improvements, and my suit's destroyed, so I'm working on a new one. I'm sketching something up in the lab. Actually, hand me your datapad."

Coulson did so, and Stiles pulled up his file and brought the hologram out showing the make up of a new suit.

"Wow."

"I'm working on a design, but I don't know. I want to keep the red, that's all I know. Any ideas?"

"It's your choice, Stilinski. Not my idea to give. If you're going to use this suit as a symbol, then it needs to be the symbol you create. I see great things in your future, you know... for your age, you've accomplished a lot."

"I'm just getting started," Stiles sighed as he put white visors over the mask, and thought to himself about what he could do later on. When he got back to the lab he was going to whip up his new suit design and go from there. For now though, he needed to focus on training and get ready to face off against Mesmero the next time they encountered each other.

"I expect nothing less, Mr. Stilinski."

* * *

 **Africa**

* * *

The plains were beautiful as the lion stepped onto a rock looking down at the pack of gazelles below. Its eyes fell upon a tiny gazelle with a limp, clearly injured and the easiest target. The lion growled lowly, as if telling itself that it had found its meal. What the lion didn't know was that above was a man hidden in a tree, clad in a leopard print vest. In his hand was a knife, and his eyes never left the lion.

He went to move on his prey, but the lion looked up as a loud roaring sound echoed through the air, and the man saw a quinjet landing in the field near him. The lion took off running as the teenage Cross Species hopped off the jet with his jacket in hand, and watched the man climb down out of the tree.

The jet flew away, leaving Stiles in the grass with the man approaching him. "Um, are you Sergei Kravinoff?" Stiles asked, as the man merely chuckled sourly.

"Yes... and I take it by your arrival you're the one being sent to me by S.H.I.E.L.D. to train?" the man asked with a heavy Russian accent.

"I guess." Stiles shrugged, as the man groaned seeing the lion run off in the distance. "What's wrong?"

"Your arrival could have been delayed. A week of pursuit wasted."

"Sorry about that. Look, um... I'm not sure how you're supposed to train me when I have a very specific set of abilities."

"You're a werespider, correct?"

"I wouldn't call myself a werespider, but something along that line yeah." he nodded, to which the man laughed.

"Then I can definitely train you. It'll just take a bit of innovation on my part. You may call me Kraven by the way."

"Well, Kraven... how much experience with werewolves or, werespiders do you have?" Stiles asked as they began walking towards the tree, as Kraven sheathed his knife in his holster on his leg. His hair was slicked back and his goatee added onto his intimidating nature.

"Werewolves, I've hunted in the past. I know their abilities, I know how they work, I know how to stop one. I can, and will teach you."

"What's in it for you?"

"I have lived for the past 7 decades through countless wars, witnessed pain and suffering on levels that you can only imagine. If you are as Fury says, a man with a mission to save lives and bring criminals to justice, then I shall help you. However, if the day comes you need to be taken down, I will be the one coming after you." Stiles couldn't believe it, this dude was seventy years old? He looked like he was in his late twenties! Oh, and he just threatened Stiles' life...

 _Now I'm scared of this guy for two reasons. He's actually willing to kill me if need be._

"Alrighty-then..."

"Are you ready to begin, spider?"

"I guess so."

Kraven nodded, as he motioned to the bag on Stiles' shoulder which held a datapad containing information on Stiles' abilities. Stiles brought the datapad out and handed it to the hunter.

"Hmm, interesting. Superhuman strength, agility, durability, sixth sense regarding danger, can also locate people and objects with your _Spider Sense_ , enhanced healing factor, enhanced hearing, equilibrium... ability to stick to surfaces and crawl. Retractable stingers on your arms?"

Stiles had his stingers come out and Kraven nodded with admiration. "Excellent." Retracting the stingers, Stiles watched Kraven continue through the list. "This is incomplete."

"What do you mean?"

Kraven motioned to Stiles' eyes. "They do not list the enhanced sight, the ability to see heat signatures."

Stiles was completely baffled by what Kraven was saying at this moment, and he seemed to notice it based on how Kraven motioned Stiles over next to him. "Do you have experience with werewolves?" the hunter mocked him.

"Yes, I've fought one, multiple times. Why?"

"Then you should know that they can see differently than humans. They are able to hunt so well because they have better sight than humans... they can see heat signatures when transformed. This is your first lesson. You are half werewolf, correct?"

Stiles nodded, as Kraven motioned to the grass ahead. "I want you to hunt a lion. You will not use any gadgets you might have on you, you must rely on your own personal abilities."

"I don't have any gadgets here."

"Good. Take your shirt off, it'll be easier." Stiles groaned internally as he peeled his shirt off revealing his extremely defined abs and muscles now as he caught sight of the lion that Kraven had been hunting earlier. It was about five hundred yards ahead of them, going into tall grass. Stiles took in a deep breath, unsure of how he was going to do this.

"How am I supposed to do this?"

"Your powers are special because they have developed over time. You are mastering the spider side of your abilities, but the wolf side, you neglect. So your abilities that come from the wolf are not working as they should. Stop thinking about how, and just let it happen. Clear your mind, take in a deep breath... and just do it."

Stiles raised an eyebrow, but did what he said. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath... clearing his mind of everything over the past few months and felt calmness come over him. "The spark that gives you your power, I want you to draw off that. Stop trying to see as a human, and embrace your inner wolf."

Stiles felt the warmth of that spark and did as Kraven said, and when he opened his eyes the world was no longer full of vibrant colors. It was now a dark shades of red, and in the grass he saw a bright heat signature. Stiles laughed out of shock, as Kraven saw the teen's eyes turn pitch black.

"Do you see the lion?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then, hunt." Stiles nodded, as he knelt down into a runner's position, and took off like the wind.

* * *

 _Now, when I hunted the lion, I didn't kill it. I subdued it long enough to have Kraven tranquilize it. Kraven told me the lion was terrorizing some livestock so he was hunting it to get it away from the area. When I scared it away, it was running back towards the area Kraven had just lured it from. So now we got the lion to somewhere safe for everyone. From there Kraven taught me how to use my powers a bit more, and I noticed my healing did increase a bit more. Over the course of that week I learned more about my powers than I had over the past two months. I was surprised by how well Kraven was actually able to teach me._

 _He even taught me stuff about how to stop a werewolf's healing factor, what to use on them and everything in between._

 _Wolf's bane, or wolvesbayne depending on how you wanna spell it, Kraven gave me a bit, and to my surprise I had no negative reactions to it. He explained that because I was not a true wolf, I couldn't be affected. That meant I had another one over Derek in a fight. This was starting to go my way. Kraven began teaching me ways to track criminals down, and needless to say he made me see things more clearly._

 _I hadn't considered a lot of the things Kraven told me about, and for that I'm thankful. However, my mind was never fully on the training at hand, and he noticed this. So, about the time the 2 week period of being in Africa came about, we were eating at a campfire late at night when he finally talked to me about my mental absence._

* * *

 **Tuesday, October 9th**

* * *

Stiles ate the M.R.E as Kraven sharpened his knife that night, his mind in a far away place, feeling the wind in his face as he swung through a concrete jungle he was familiar with. "Where do you go, Spider?"

"Hmm?" Stiles asked, being brought out of his daydream. He hadn't even really heard what Kraven said at that point.

"Where do you go, Spider?" he repeated. "Where do you go when you drift off like that?"

Where to start? "Uh, it's silly really. I think about being back in New York, swinging through the city, feeling the wind on my face. Sometimes I don't even wear the mask when I go out. I say go patrolling, but in reality I just want some time to clear my head, and web swinging relaxes me too. When I do it, it feels like there's nothing else in the world, that there's just me and my giant playground. I see the city, how beautiful it is, and in my mind, it always goes the same way, with me going home to meet my Dad. He asks me how my day was, and we'd talk over dinner and he'd ask me about how my side activities were going. It hurts, because I know he can't ask me that, because he doesn't know. He doesn't know everything that I can do... not the full extent of it. I got an idea that he knew when I stopped that robbery..."

"The day he was shot," Kraven acknowledged it, solemnly.

"Yeah. The way he looked at me as he passed out, it just hit me that he had to of known. That look in his eyes, it was admiration, and it was the look you gave someone you knew, cared about deeply. It was the same look he gave me every time I woke up or did something that made him proud. He gave me that look as he blacked out, and that's how I knew. Dad knew who I was under that mask without even having to see my face. He just knew. Then, he woke up again as I fought the Omega, and he saved me. Gave me enough time to get up and get the advantage in that fight. He saved the girl I l-" he stopped himself from saying it, "he saved someone I care about, and after that he went into that coma. I made a promise to him, that no matter what I would bring the people responsible for that robbery to justice. I have three names... Brad and Cassandra Michaels, and Mesmero. Those are the people I need to find and stop."

"Then what are you doing here in the wilds of Africa when your hunt is in New York?"

"I've been training." Stiles laughed, sourly.

"You might be training, but every second you wait... the possibility another boy will lose his father to the same fate rises. I may not be the one to say what is best, but I just know if it were me in that same position, I'd stop wasting time and find them. Work from the bottom and go up. You know what needs to be done. If this Mesmero has access to the Goliaths, beings similar to the Hulk, then you must do everything in your power to stop him."

Stiles nodded as he stood up, cracking his knuckles. "I'll be picked up in the morning and then I plan on going back... for more than a couple reasons."

"Spider, I must warn you, there's a look in your eye, it is the one men with nothing to lose have when they are consumed with vengeance. Remember, you have everything to lose... your father is just one piece of your life. You still have your love, friends. Do not forget this. Every person must eventually face the loss of their parents. It is inevitable. You must deal with this before it consumes you."

He didn't respond as the image of his father laying against that cop car flashed in his mind, and his mother in that hospital bed followed. Loss was what he had already experienced.

"I lost my mother when I was eight. My father was all I had growing up. Throughout all the pain, all my suffering, the joy, every single emotion and memory I have, every memory has included him. I haven't lost him yet... I just need to make sure if something does happen to him, my promise is fulfilled by then."

"I understand that, but what will fulfilling that promise cost you in the end?!"

"IT COULD COST EVERYTHING AND I WOULDN'T THINK TWICE!" Stiles yelled, making Kraven smile.

"I see now, what Fury saw in you. Take what I taught you, and use it well, Spider. I am sure in the future, you and I will cross paths again."

* * *

Stiles laid asleep as Kraven walked away from the campfire with his things, leaving Stiles alone to be picked up when the sun rose. Kraven smiled at the thought of what Stiles might become in the future, hoping to face off in the ultimate hunt. The Hunter vs the Spider. He could hardly wait for that moment.

* * *

 **Wednesday, October 10th**

* * *

Stiles was picked up by the Quinjet, and flown back to the Helicarrier where he would sit down in the lab and contemplate ideas over the suit and the v2. web shooter design. _A symbol of my own design._

What could his symbol be? He wanted it to be a symbol that people could see and feel hope when they saw it. For those who were on the wrong side of the law, the criminals that hurt, murdered... ruined lives... he wanted them to feel fear upon seeing his symbol. But they had to be able to see it well.

Stiles laid aside his suit plans for now, and thought about how to improve his web shooters. Soon enough, he finally, genuinely smiled for the first time in two months as it hit him for his new web shooters.

"Bingo."


	53. The Mk 2 Web Shooters

_Chapter Fifty-two: The Mk 2 Web Shooters_

* * *

 **Wednesday, October 17th**

* * *

"I need you to run and grab as much aconite as you can afford to spare." Stiles informed one of the botanists in the Helicarrier as he began work on his new web shooters. It was going to be easier to use than his previous ones, and had more tricks to them. If he had to wear them at all times, he wanted them to look like they belonged.

If he were to make this version of the devices better, he needed to make sure he wouldn't have to worry about accidental firing of the web shooters, so he devised a sensor that would react to the tendons contracting upon his middle and ring fingers closing on his hand. The vertical wrist interface was something he needed to work as his initial trial with the new interface agitated his skin. So he essentially shaved and smoothed the triggering notch. On his hand he could have a clear, ultra thin pressure gauge that would extend from the shooter upon latching to his wrist, which would adhere itself like a second skin. The sensor beneath his spray unit would react to the contracting tendons so to only fire when his middle digits were in the correct position.

There was also notches on the straps that acted as the carousel that changed out the web cartridges, which could now hold five times as much web fluid, which could be altered with a simple change of a button. If Stiles wanted to use taser webs, he could activate an electrical charge located in between the triggering notch and the carousel. He could also with the triggering notch alter the density of the webs, and the spray pattern. If he required two webs to come out of one web shooter, like per say if his right web shooter was destroyed and he needed to create a net of web if there was a car flying at him, he could make the web spray in two directions, and upon cutting the flow the two webs would combine into one single thread.

As he made it a bit smaller in size compared to his original ones, which were essentially watches he altered, these would be able to fit like a wristband of sorts. He could wear them easily without any trouble, and nobody would notice as he could disguise the web shooters. One little click and it would be on, all he would have to do is just make sure they were activated and go from there.

Stiles watched as the botanist brought in a large batch of aconite, or wolf's bane to be clear and set it on the table. "Thank you very much. I appreciate it. I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all." she smiled at him, before taking her leave as Stiles prepped to add it to the formula. If Derek or any other werewolf thought they could break free from his webs, then they were in for a treat with his wolf's bane webbing. Wolf's bane was still poisonous to humans, regardless of what television and other media might say. Stiles knew it wasn't as bad to humans as it was werewolves, but enough ingestion or contact with it could cause deadly consequences. So, he made sure he got the aconite into a sealed container, and reduced it to liquid, before combining it with his web formula. Upon doing so, he noticed his web fluid now had a purplish tint to it, one which made it shine brighter than normal.

 _Good. Let's see how you do against that Derek. You wanna fight dirty, well... I'll fight dirty too. I'll just fight in a smarter way than you._

Stiles would have to make sure the web was contacted with Derek or the werewolf long enough for the wolf's bane to start weakening them. This was potent enough to cause a werewolf to pass out in a matter of a minute.

He got his web shooters formed, and decided to test them out in the training room. Stepping into sight of a target, Stiles shot webs at it, one of them being a long thread which electrocuted it, turning the voltage up until he witnessed the target shaking. It would stun his opponents for sure.

The wolf's bane webbing was didn't have the longevity as the normal formula so Stiles couldn't use it to swing or much of anything like that, only lasting about ten minutes compared to the normal two hours, but Stiles compensated it for the overall elastic strength, so it could act as a net or cocoon that would immobilize the werewolf.

Fury stepped into the room catching sight of Stiles' new web shooters and smiled. "I see you've taken full advantage of the lab. Was wondering when you would do that."

"Never had a chance to before. Been too busy training, or was on a mission. Had nothing to do today, so figured might as well."

"Looks like it paid off. Seems your formula got improved as well."

"Some of it. I got a trick up my sleeve for the next encounter with the Omega." Stiles informed him as he shut the web shooters off, and Fury watched as the red devices turned gray. One wristband acted as a watch, and the other looked like a plain wristband.

"What's your suit going to be? Red?"

"Something like that. All I know is, red is going to be a part of it."

"Listen, kid... I know you wanna be there for when Captain Rogers wakes up, and I'm all for it. They're expecting him to wake up in the next few days, so we're going to be getting you back to the States soon."

"Alright, anything change with my father?"

"No, still the same, I'm afraid." Fury shook his head, to which Stiles sighed, moving the hair back out of his face. "You sure you don't want someone to cut your hair, Stilinski?"

"As I told Coulson and everyone else who's asked, I'm fine."

"That's fine, but you can drop the attitude. It was a question." Stiles rolled his eyes playfully to Fury, knowing that he would receive a single eye roll from Fury. It was hard to tell when he rolled his eye though, the eye patch always threw him off.

Suddenly, there was a loud alarm that went off in Fury's coat, as he pulled out a device.

"What's that?" Stiles asked, stepping forward.

"A distress call. Well, Spider... looks like you're going back home early. We have a situation." Fury said with a grim tone, as Stiles' eyes turned pitch black as response.

"Tell them to get the jet ready. Fill me in on the way there!" Stiles called out as he ran out of the room, and hurried to the lab to retrieve a new suit.


	54. The Return of the Web Slinger

_Chapter Fifty-three: The Return of the Web Slinger_

* * *

 _There was the sound of glass shattering, and Lydia's eyes fell upon the sight of the Web Slinger, her hero in that red jacket being thrown through a window by the monstrous Omega. His icy blue eyes slowly met hers, and it was like every ounce of warmth in her body drained and she felt frozen in time._

 _The fangs protruded from his lips in a terrifying smile that made Lydia want to scream. She watched as he stepped into the street, cracking the broken glass beneath his feet. Behind him the Web Slinger laid motionless, as if he was dead. He couldn't be dead, could he? There was no way. He was going to get up at any second, and would save her from the Omega. He had to._

 _Yet, it never happened and soon enough Lydia watched as the street was suddenly empty, leaving no bodies, no people... no Web Slinger, and especially no Stiles._

 _The amount of space between them was closing quickly, and Lydia was paralyzed with fear. Her breath caught, shaking her body as she did so. Tears began running down her face as she realized if she didn't start moving she was going to die._

 _Her feet weren't moving, though. Lydia Martin was truly petrified and watched as the Omega got halfway through and then she heard the sound of the Web Slinger shooting that life saving thread towards her. She felt it cling onto her shirt like a hand, and as it began pulling Lydia almost took a breath of relief, but before she could do so, she felt the Omega's claws enter her stomach. It hurt so bad she screamed..._

* * *

She opened her eyes as she woke up screaming, and protective hands grasped her shoulders, pulling her into safe arms. She looked to see Stiles was there in bed with her, with those hazel eyes that reminded her of a worried sick puppy. "Hey, hey... it's alright, it's alright. Lyd, I'm here." He whispered lovingly, running his hand through her hair, caressing her cheek while she tried to slow her breathing down. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm f-fine. It was just a bad dream," she smiled weakly at him, as Stiles gave a soft nod, laying his forehead against her's. "It's okay, really."

"If you're okay, then that's all that matters." he assured her, but the look on his face gave him away, telling her that he knew she wasn't alright, but he was there for her and that was everything she needed and more than she could ever want. His arms enveloped her in a comforting hug, sending waves of warmth through her body. Lydia slowly looked up at him, surprised to see his hazel eyes staring into her green. How could she have never realized how important he really was to her? Why did she never realize that being in his arms made her feel like she was home?

"I'm just glad you're home." she whispered, so quietly that Stiles shouldn't have been able to hear her, but he did, smiling back at her with such warmth it made Lydia's heart skip a beat.

"You're my home." He beamed at her, as she brought her lips to his...

* * *

Lydia woke up with a cold sweat, and reddened cheeks. She looked at the other half of her bed, seeing it noticeably empty. She groaned with disappointment as she flopped back onto her pillow. This was the third time this week that she had dreamt about Stiles... not even just him in general, but always sharing a bed with him, and it always ended with them kissing.

What the hell had that boy done to her?

She looked over at the alarm clock on her nightstand, which was propped right beside the picture of her and Stiles, to see it was about seven in the morning.

Her phone was already buzzing, the sound of a bird chirping catching her attention. It was the only notification sound she had that wasn't horribly basic or too weird that it would make people look at her funny. Grabbing her phone, she turned the screen on to see a message from Scott.

* * *

 _Hey, wanna get something to eat? I'm sure you wanna get out of the house for a bit._

* * *

She smiled, knowing her friendship with Scott had been rekindled over the past two months because of the absent space Stiles had created when he left without much of a warning. She was the only one that really got a goodbye that day, and even that made her feel worse because Scott had been there longer for Stiles than she had. His best friend didn't even get a goodbye, yet she did. It was partially why she had talked so much to Scott in the past couple weeks, was the guilt she felt about everything.

The one thing Lydia couldn't get out of her head as she went to respond was her last words to Stiles in that dream... " _I'm just glad you're home._ "

If only he was...

* * *

 _Yeah, sure. Where you wanna go?_

* * *

 ** _Scott-_**

 _There's that new diner near Times Square we can go to. Heard they have amazing waffles._

* * *

 ** _Lydia-_**

 _You had me at waffles. Wanna meet up there or?_

* * *

 ** _Scott-_**

 _I'll stop by your apartment. We can take the Subway there._

* * *

 ** _Lydia-_**

 _Alright, text me when you're close._

* * *

That diner really did have amazing waffles, and Lydia couldn't believe how hungry she was as she had four waffles with a side of bacon and eggs. Scott was even surprised as he held his fork dangling near his mouth with his eyes watching her every movement like he was watching a spectacle.

"What?" she asked, finally looking up at him to which he laughed. "You've never seen a girl eat before or something?"

"I've seen you eat before, Lydia. You're just, abnormally hungry today it seems. You eat last night at all?"

To be truthful, Lydia really didn't know if she ate. She had been so busy trying to work with Dr. Connors last night and avoid Mr. Osborn as he had recently started bugging them about their work, and she had the suspicion that the reason he was really there was not about their work, but more about her. Jackson and Norman had apparently been rather chummy with each other recently according to Harry when he would stop by and talk to her at lunch. Harry had only really recently started talking because of the development with Liz, as they were close to being in a relationship based on how they acted around each other. God, she hated getting off track. With Osborn being there at the office last night Lydia was so preoccupied that she probably didn't eat.

"I don't know, maybe."

Scott gave her a look of disbelief, and immediately put his fork down. "You gotta eat, Lydia. If Stiles were here..."

"Well, Stiles _isn't_ here, now is he? He's been gone for two months and we haven't heard anything from him Scott." Lydia snapped, before realizing her mistake as she watched Scott's lips curl into a frown. In that split second she forgot how much it hurt Scott to have his best friend be gone without even a goodbye. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"It, it's alright. I was just trying to say that if he were here, he'd agree with me."

Now she felt guilty, and set her utensil down, pushing her plate aside, having lost her appetite.

Scott's eyes glanced behind Lydia to peer out at the street and watched a fireball slam into a car, causing an explosion.

"What the hell?!" Scott proclaimed, grabbing Lydia and pulling her behind him as everyone's attention went to the road.

In the street, through the thinning smoke was a man wearing a dark yellow and red outfit, and his hair stood up with the glow of fire as flames trickled off of his fingers.

"That's a ten pointer for sure!" the man cackled. "Do I have your attention now, people?!"

Lydia peered from behind Scott's arm, and felt like she was having a horrible moment of Deja Vu. This was having eerie similarities to the nightmare she had last night... or the nightmare in her dream?

People began stepping closer to get a view out of fear, and the man in the street smiled as he saw the people of New York finally looking at him.

"Good, I do have your attention. I want you to bring me... The Web Slinger!"

* * *

 **Five Hours Later...**

* * *

As the jet flew over New York City, Stiles slipped on his suit, a modified version of the suit Natasha had helped design, but this time there was no goggles, replaced with actual visors built into the mask with mechanical proportions to help enhance his sight, giving him more focus. The gloves were no longer gloves, stretching all the way up his arm connecting with the jacket seamlessly. That white spider symbol was no longer on here, leaving his torso empty.

Stiles had also removed the hood that was over the mask already, and took in a deep breath as he opened up the back of the jet.

"The mutant has taken over Times Square. Police are trying to break through but there are multiple injuries. He's calling for the Web Slinger to appear." Fury informed him over the comms. "You need to find out if he's connected to Mesmero."

Stiles narrowed his eyes as he pulled his mask on. "Sure thing, Fury. And by the way, if the Web Slinger is what he wants... then I'll be more than happy to oblige. Make sure we're high enough to where we won't be seen. If the mutant sees a S.H.I.E.L.D. jet he might get desperate, or angry. I'm not taking a chance of anyone dying today."

"How are you going to get down there without being seen?"

"They'll expect me to come swinging in. They won't expect a direct drop from the sky."

Stiles climbed out of the jet and clung onto it as it shut and flew high above the clouds. Crawling to the side of the cockpit he could see the pilot look at him with surprise.

"What are you doing? We're not over the drop point yet!"

"I'm impatient, what can I say?!" Stiles laughed, launching off of the jet and began his free fall down towards the city. "WOOOOOOOO!" he screamed with joy as the clouds disappeared and he saw the destruction in Times Square, with burning cars and the flames erupting from the source itself... the mutant.

 _Time to put your fire out, hothead._

* * *

"Come on, I've hurt how many of your precious officers?! I have hostages. It took less time for you to get to the scene the last time! What's the matter, they not important anymore?!" the mutant exclaimed, as Lydia and Scott sat against the wall in the diner. Where were the superheroes that normally took care of punks like this? There had to be someone coming capable of stopping that guy, right? "If I don't get the Web Slinger here in the next ten minutes, I'm going to start killing hostages!"

Lydia's eyes grew wide as Scott held her hand, comforting her the best he could. "It's going to be alright. We'll be out of here soon."

"I'm never going to breakfast with you again." Lydia laughed, nervously as Scott rolled his eyes.

"I think I jinxed us when I mentioned Stiles."

"Oh, you think?"

 _If only Stiles was here, he'd probably have some idea of how to get out of here._ Scott thought to himself, remembering how Stiles had managed to capture Harris when he had Erica. This wasn't that different, just had fire involved, that's all.

The mutant had melted all the exit points that could be used, and had back up from something else, blowing anyone back into the buildings if they tried leaving.

There was a loud rumble as flames erupted towards the cop cars, and Lydia looked up to see a water hydrant burst open, with a white thread connecting to the street. Her eyes grew wide as she saw it, moments before the water hit the flames causing steam to fill Times Square. She rose to her feet, running to the doors as Scott tried to stop her.

"What the hell is going on?!" the mutant's voice called out through the steam.

"So... I heard you were looking for me." came the voice Lydia hadn't heard in a long time, and her heart skipped a beat, as the steam cleared revealing the Web Slinger standing next to the fire hydrant, shutting it with his webs. "Here I am... thought I might as well oblige after you went through the trouble of creating a show."

He looked at the officers against the vehicles, and the Web Slinger lowered his head. "Officers, you did well... get your injured to safety. Leave the rest to me."

* * *

Stiles felt his Spider Sense go off, but it was different this time. It wasn't from danger, it was from something else, and as he turned his head he could see the strawberry blonde and his best friend standing behind a window, and his heart dropped to his stomach.

 _Oh shit... now I really gotta take the hothead down._

"It's about time you showed up Web-head." the mutant spoke as he blew up a car next to the Cross Species, making the teen laugh. "What's so funny?"

"If that's a scare tactic, try again. How about we start over and you cool off for a bit."

"I heard you liked making jokes in the face of trouble. You're worse than I expected." the mutant shook his head in disappointment. Stiles rolled his eyes beneath his visor. "I'm going to need you to come with me, Webs. My boss wants to talk to you."

"Oh, and who would your boss be?"

"You already know. He's been thinking about you since you met him that day in Siberia."

 _So it was Mesmero this guy works for._

"If he wants to talk to me, he can find me himself. There's no need for a grand gesture like this."

"You're not exactly an easy guy to find, because I hear you've been a lot of places lately. How was your time in Africa?"

Stiles' eyes grew wide as he heard that. Nobody but a few select people at S.H.I.E.L.D. knew that Stiles, or rather the Web Slinger had been in Africa training. Mesmero did have a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Either way, it's just a good thing you're home now. You better come without a fight, it'll be better and easier for everyone."

Stiles stepped forward and thought of a plan, as his Spider Sense went off and he saw someone on a building nearby watching the street. He shot a web up and the person on the building was thrown into a window.

"You have backup. Smart. Although it won't be enough. You're going to tell me where your boss is, and where Cassandra and Brad Michaels are."

"Why does it matter to you where those two low-lifes are."

"They hurt innocent people, so I want them to be brought to justice. Simple as that."

"Why bother?"

"I was told by someone that with great power comes with great responsibility. I'm just trying to live up to that ideal."

Stiles didn't waste any time, launching off the street as the mutant threw a fireball at him, and it missed his foot by a few inches.

"I'm not in the mood to play the world's deadliest game of hot potato!" he yelled mockingly as he landed on a light pole. Stiles knew he had to end this fast before anyone else got hurt or worse, so he shot a web onto a building and began closing in on the mutant.

* * *

Lydia and Scott watched as the Web Slinger swung around the Square, and for some reason, Lydia just knew that everything was going to be okay... the Web Slinger was here, and he was going to save them.


	55. Who am I?

_Chapter Fifty-four: Who am I?_

* * *

The flames soared around Times Square like something out of a disaster flick as Stiles went back-flipping over a street-light, shooting a web onto a skyscraper to keep his momentum as his feet skidded onto the glass. He ran like he was on air as he moved across the wall, keeping his eyes on the burning mutant on the street and thought about what he was going to do. There was already the closed fire hydrant, and if he opened it again he wasn't sure if he'd be able to close it without causing more damage than could be repaired. He jumped off of the glass and was in the middle between two buildings as a flame shot up above him, hitting his web, and just like that Stiles went falling towards the street.

He knew this was a likely possibility, so he did a roll in the air, and as he came down to the street his feet pushed against the cement and he shot back into the air like a bouncy ball. All that training with S.H.I.E.L.D. had made his ability to use his powers on the fly and with efficiency had paid off as he figured his game plan out.

"Stop moving, bug!" the mutant exclaimed as he continued to shoot fireballs at him, to which Stiles shook his head with annoyance.

"Spiders aren't bugs, they're arachnids!" Stiles hissed out, with a hint of offense in his voice, using his right arm to shoot a web onto a street sign, and pulled it right out of the ground and slung it at the mutant.

The mutant was hit directly in the face, a sickening metal thud echoing as he fell backwards, and the Cross Species felt his Spider Sense buzz in the back of his head. All at once the wind shifted and he was thrown against a car, denting the side of it and he grunted as he felt his side get pierced by a piece of metal protruding from the door.

Looking up he watched someone float down to the street, using a mini tornado to keep him moving. The person landed gracefully, and Stiles could see the horrendous green helmet concealing his face and recognized this guy immediately. This was Whirlwind... and Stiles knew this guy was gonna be trouble. _Has an ability to create a spinning stream at subsonic levels. Doesn't need to be spinning to do it, so it means he can make himself a tornado to fly on. Can run really fast, and his punches are like drills. Can't let him get too close._

Stiles pulled the metal out of his side without even flinching as his eyes turned pitch black and his stingers came out of his arms.

Whirlwind stepped forward and a large gust of wind flew behind him, sending vehicles flying through the air, and before Stiles could react the villain was upon him, and the punch sent him flying off of the ground and through the air like he was nothing. Stiles landed on his face, and felt his Spider Sense go off once more, as he rolled out of the way.

 _He might be fast, but I don't know how fast he can process his environment._

"Come on, Pyro. We need to finish this before someone above our pay level shows up and ruins the fun." Whirlwind told his partner as the mutant on the ground groaned, holding his head.

"That was a cheap shot..." Pyro muttered as Stiles climbed to his feet and shook off the pain. Whirlwind didn't notice that Stiles had shot a couple of pellets onto the street in front of him, which Stiles had created just for stealth situations, but this could work too if he could get Whirlwind into the correct position.

"That the best you got? Come and get me, big guy!" Stiles laughed, hoping it would invoke action in the super-powered criminal. It worked too, as Whirlwind ran towards him faster than Stiles had ever seen in a fight, and from the diner Lydia watched with a held breath. Whirlwind shot a wind gust at him, and the teenager was sent off the ground, but didn't move. His stingers were lodged in the cement, keeping him from being blown away. Stiles got his feet on the ground as he focused on strengthening his adhesive properties, and stood up. The gusts of winds weren't able to blow him away now as Whirlwind growled and ran towards him.

"It's a bit windy, today, don't you think?" Stiles joked as he watched Whirlwind's path and smiled knowingly under his mask.

Whirlwind stepped over the pellets on the ground and was met with an electric web, shocking him and causing him to convulse uncontrollably as Stiles stepped in front of him, to which he lightly punched him, knocking him to the ground. The _lightly_ bit consisted of enough force to knock him out, and Pyro watched this with only a minor gasp. Stiles looked over at the fire hydrant and pointed at it.

"Want me to cool you off?" Stiles asked, to which Pyro shook his head. "Good... let's talk shall we?"

Stiles grabbed Pyro and tied him up to the fire hydrant next to the cop cars, and listened to what the mutant had to say.

"Now, where can I find Brad and Cassandra Michaels?"

"Probably the bar in Hell's Kitchen. Uh... Josie's. Brad's a regular there."

"Good. Thanks for the info. Now, what did Mesmero want?"

"He wanted you to join him... said we needed to weaken you so he could get control."

"Sorry, but I'm not joining anyone..." Stiles said. "You two, however..." he saw the SWAT running towards them. "you'll be joining a few people in prison."

Stiles stepped away from Pyro as the mutant lowered his head. "He'll get what he wants in the end, Web-head. Everyone and everything you love is just a way for him to hurt you..."

"We'll see about that."

* * *

People starting clamoring out of the nearby buildings, as Stiles walked into the center of the square and webbed his side shut. He could see Scott and Lydia stepping out with the other hostages, and he sighed a breath of relief.

In the commotion Stiles didn't think about leaving... he just stood there for a second before he could clearly hear someone talking to him.

"Who are you?" asked one of the people stepping out of the buildings, as Stiles held his side tightly as SWAT surrounded the two mutants. He happened to look at Scott who was smiling brightly at him with a bit of smoke on his face, and for some reason it kind of clicked. There was a nickname Scott, Lydia, and especially his Dad called him whenever he was at a pet store, looking at spiders.

They called him Spider-boy, but he didn't want to be called that. He stood up straight and smiled beneath his mask knowing his best friends were safe. "Who am I? I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."


	56. Coming Home

_Chapter Fifty-five: Coming Home_

* * *

Nobody was sure where the masked vigilante that had called himself "Spider-Man" had gone once he took off through the air, but as Lydia was being escorted out of the Square with Scott, her eyes fell upon the fire hydrant which was kept shut by the webs Spider-Man could utilize.

The webs looked so familiar, and Lydia's eyes narrowed as she thought about why it looked familiar. As they got out of there, Lydia was still focused on where she had seen that substance before.

* * *

Stiles pulled his mask off as he clung to the side of a building south of Times Square, taking in a deep breath with the thought that for the third time, Lydia had been in danger because of something he was involved with. Scott was in danger for the second time, one being the threat of Harris, and now this.

 _What the hell is this crap? Why is it the moment I come back my friends somehow get pulled into my mess? I can't win for losing, can I?_

He groaned as he laid his head back against the glass, his hair falling into his eyes, making him grumble out of annoyance. Stiles immediately got on his comms link and got a hold of Fury. "The two making trouble were Pyro and Whirlwind."

"I saw... good job, _Spider-Man_." Fury said with a special tone on the name he had come up with. "I must say it's better than The Web Slinger."

"I had to come up with something," Stiles admitted as he turned towards the wall and climbed to the rooftop. "Dad used to call me Spider-boy when I was a kid. Whenever we went to the pet store I always looked at the spiders."

"How fitting..." Fury chuckled, to which Stiles smirked lightly as well. "So, are you coming back or are you staying in Manhattan for a bit?"

"I think I've spent enough time away from home, Fury. I got a lead on the Michaels... so I'm gonna look into that when I get a chance. Apparently some bar in Hell's Kitchen is where Brad Michaels tends to spend a lot of time at."

"Alright. If you need to come back, that room will be open for you Spider."

"Thanks, Fury. My father have any developments?"

"No. I take it you're going to go see him now?"

"Yeah. If you need me, you know how to find me."

* * *

 **Thursday, October 18th**

* * *

Stiles was now wearing a black leather jacket with a white t shirt, looking like a disheveled version of Derek as he stepped through the hospital doors and made his way to his father's room, making his way right past Melissa McCall, whose eyes fell upon the back of the teen's head. She didn't recognize the person that walked by her, but she sensed a familiarity in him.

He reached his father's room and opened the door slowly to see his father looking the same as the last time he was here. His skin was less pale, but otherwise he looked lifeless.

"Hey, pops. It's been a while." Stiles smiled as he sat down beside his father in the chair, grabbing his hand. "I'm kinda glad you're not awake right now. You'd probably give me a bunch of lip about how bad I look, but to be honest I don't care how I look right now. I've been trying to keep that promise I made you. I'm looking for the people responsible for the robbery. I know who their leader is, some telepath named Mesmero. He's got some powerful connections... and can make people do whatever he wants. For whatever reason he now wants me. Maybe it's because I'm a threat to him, or maybe it's because he thinks I might be useful to him. I don't rightfully know. The only thing I know is, is that I miss you."

He laid his head back against the wall as he let go of his father's hand, not noticing the twitching of his index finger.

"You know, don't you Dad... about who I really am."

" _How could I not? You're my son._ " he imagined Stilinski saying, and practically saw his father's ghost standing next to him with his hand on his shoulder. " _You look like you could use a shave, kiddo._ "

Stiles laughed a bit. "I do look pretty bad, don't I?"

" _Like you're fresh from being in a war zone by yourself for months._ " Stilinski's ghost responded, to which Stiles rolled his eyes. " _Right, I don't know about that. You'd probably have more experience than I would, sad to say. Sixteen years old and you've fought something like the Hulk._ "

"To be fair, I held my own."

" _You got your ass handed to you, don't try to bullcrap me. I might be a figment of your imagination, but I still know when you're lying kid._ "

"Hey, I'm pretty sure I had him on the ropes there for a while."

" _While he was laughing from you punching him like a gorilla? I bet you did._ " Stilinski laughed. " _Look, I'm glad you're talking to me and all... but you know you have a life outside of me, right?_ "

"That don't matter... you're my family..."

" _And Scott isn't? What about Lydia? Hell, even Harry. They aren't your family?_ "

Stiles hated to admit it, but it was true. They were the closest thing to family he had after Stilinski.

" _I'm not going to tell you what to do with yourself Stiles, I can't, because right now the person you're talking to, is really yourself. I'm still in that bed, in a coma. You know very well I may not wake up. If I were awake, I'd tell you that you can't push your friends away. You'll go crazy without them. I may have been the one that raised you, Stiles... but they will be the ones here after I'm gone. And I hate to say it, but one day I WILL be gone, and what then? Are you going to push them away and live the rest of your life by yourself? You can't do that._ "

"I know... it's just..."

" _Just nothing. I am thankful that you are willing to throw everything away to keep a promise you made me, but you know deep down that it's not what I would want. I want you to live your life... you can't be 'Spider-Man' all the time... you're still Stiles Stilinski underneath that mask. Stiles Stilinski is still just a sixteen year old who's in love with Lydia Martin, best friends with Scott McCall and Harry Osborn. Stiles still has a life. Spider-Man can hang around on the sideline for a bit. Stiles Stilinski has been on the sideline for two months. I think it's time he comes back into the playing field for now._ "

Stiles nodded, as his father's ghostly figure rubbed the teen's hair. " _Now, when you're done moping around here making this seem like a grave, go see one of your friends, and for god's sake get a haircut and shave._ "

"Sure, Dad. The hair and beard is staying until I get the Michaels behind bars."

" _It's not like I can stop you after all._ _Don't stay away for too long, kiddo. I miss you more than you know._ "

Stiles had a tear running down his face as Stilinski's ghost disappeared. "I miss you more."

He got up, and hugged his father's comatose figure goodbye. "I'll be back before you know it, pops. Don't wake up before I get back, okay? I want to be the first person you see when you open your eyes."

As he stepped out of the room, he was met by Melissa, whose eyes grew wide at the sight at the disheveled person walking out. "Do I know you?" she asked, to which Stiles looked up at her with tired eyes.

"I hope so... you're practically my mother." he smiled at her, to which Melissas' eyes teared up as she realized it was Stiles, pulling him into a hug.

"Where have you been?! What happened to you..."

"It's a long story, but I'm home... I had to take care of some things for Dad. Hey, do you know where Scott is... I need to see him."

"I have a general idea where he is, yeah."

* * *

 **Stilinski Household**

* * *

Scott was sitting on the couch in the living room, tossing a ball up into the air as the teen stepped into the doorway, catching sight of his best friend. Stiles slowly leaned against the wall and lowered his head.

"Your mom told me I could find you here. I guess I should have figured you knew where the key was." he spoke up, making Scott turn his head to see Stiles.

"Stiles?" he asked with a shocked voice to which Stiles nodded. Scott got up with a gasp, dropping the ball and running towards him. Stiles expected a hug, but was met with his Spider Sense going off as Scott blasted him in the face with a punch. "Where the hell were you?!"

Stiles rubbed his jaw as he recovered. "I'll admit I deserved that one," he groaned as Scott brought him into a hug, to which Stiles hugged back. "I'm sorry, brother."

"You better be." Scott laughed with a shaky voice, to which Stiles hugged him as tightly as he could without hurting him. "I missed you, man."

"I missed you too. I just got back in town."

"Yeah, I can see that... and might I ask what the hell is with your hair?"

"Don't worry about it." Stiles just hugged him and then he heard Scott mutter: "What happened to not shutting me out, huh?"

Stiles pulled away and motioned Scott to follow him upstairs to the bedroom. "What's going on, Stiles?"

"You're right... I shut you out when I told you I wouldn't. So it's time I opened up a bit and explained what's going on and what the deal is." Stiles got up to the bedroom and motioned to the still remaining chaos that remained from when Derek nearly killed Stiles.

"What is this?"

"Remember how I told you I was looking into the Identity Thief when I went out of touch the first time?"

"Yeah," Scott nodded. "This isn't a part of it, is it?"

"No... I was looking into the bank robberies for Dad. I found a connection, and was attacked because of it." Stiles lifted his shirt up revealing the scars Derek left on his torso, (the other side that was currently injured from his fight with Pyro and Whirlwind was hidden) causing Scott to gasp with shock. "This was a warning. I had a spare flashdrive with the information at your house. I got it to Dad, and he turned it over to his Captain. They authorized the ambush on the bank robbers, but it went wrong..."

He explained everything to Scott that he could, keeping the Spider-Man side of it out. He told Scott that he was looking into some possible leads to help his Dad recover and that was where he had gone, to look for someone who could help him. When he came up short he came home, especially after hearing about the Web Slinger's battle yesterday and how Scott and Lydia had been hostages during it.

Scott understood, thankfully and hugged him. "If you need a place to stay I've got space in my room."

"I was actually about to ask that, to be honest."

"Let's get going... plus, I wanted to ask you something... have you been playing any COD lately?"

"No, but I can still beat you if that's what you're wondering."

"Game on." Scott laughed as the two went downstairs to his car. "Have you talked to Lydia at all since you got back?"

"No... I need to figure out a way to apologize before I go see her. She's probably more mad at me than you are."

"Oh, trust me buddy... you are right about that." Scott groaned as he sat down in the driver's seat and Stiles sat down beside him. "And hey, can you at least shave the beard?"

"Fine, I'll shave the beard, but the hair is staying!" Stiles growled to which Scott couldn't help but laugh as they pulled out of Stiles' driveway and took off towards Scott's.

* * *

 **END OF EPISODE SEVEN.**


End file.
